Ahmad ibn Fadlan

Not to be confused with Ibn Battuta, Ibn Khaldun, or Ibn Saud.
Ahmad ibn Fadlan
Born
Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate
Theological work
EraIslamic golden age
Main interestsIslamic jurisprudence

Ahmad ibn Fadlan ibn al-Abbas al-Baghdadi (Arabic: أحمد بن فضلان بن العباس بن راشد بن حماد, romanized: Aḥmad ibn Faḍlān ibn al-ʿAbbās al-Baghdādī) was a 10th-century traveler from Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate,[a] famous for his account of his travels as a member of an embassy of the Abbasid caliph, al-Muqtadir of Baghdad, to the king of the Volga Bulgars, known as his risāla ("account" or "journal").[b]

His account is most notable for providing a detailed description of the Volga Vikings, including eyewitness accounts of life as part of a trade caravan and witnessing a ship burial.[4] He also notably described the lifestyle of the Oghuz Turks while the Khazaria, Cumans, and Pechenegs were still around.[5]

Ibn Fadlan's detailed writings have been cited by numerous historians. They have also inspired entertainment works, including Michael Crichton's novel Eaters of the Dead and its film adaptation The 13th Warrior.[6]

  1. ^ Knight 2001, pp. 32–34.
  2. ^ Frye 2005, p. 8.
  3. ^ Lunde & Stone 2011, p. xiii.
  4. ^ Perry 2009: "...left a unique geo-historical and ethnographic record of the northern fringes of 10th-century Eurasia." See also Gabriel 1999, pp. 36–42.
  5. ^ Curta, Florin (2019). Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages (500-1300) (2 Vols). Boston: BRILL. p. 152. ISBN 978-90-04-39519-0. OCLC 1111434007.
  6. ^ "Saudi Aramco World : Among the Norse Tribes: The Remarkable Account of Ibn Fadlan". archive.aramcoworld.com. Retrieved 2020-09-11.


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