IBN KHALDUN (Abu Zaid ibn Mohammed ibn Mohammed ibn Khaldun) (133 2-1406), Arabic historian, was born at Tunis. In 1352 he entered the service of the Marinid sultan Abu Ivan (Faris I.) at Fez, but in 1356, his integrity having been suspected, he was imprisoned for two years. Later, having offended the prime minister, he emigrated to Granada, where he was received with great cordiality by Ibn al Ahmar. This excited the jealousy of the vizier, and he was driven back to Africa (1364), where he entered the service of the sultan of Tlemcen. A few years later he was taken prisoner by Abdalaziz (`Abd ul `Aziz), who had seized the throne. He then entered a monastic establishment, until 13 7o when the new sultan recalled him to Tlemcen. In 1378 he entered the service of the sultan of his native town of Tunis, where he devoted himself to his studies and wrote his history of the Berbers. While on a pilgrimage to Mecca, he visited Cairo, where he was presented to the sultan, al-Malik udh-Dhahir Barkuk, who insisted on his remaining there, and in 1384 made him grand cadi of the Malikite rite for Cairo. Later he made the pilgrimage to Mecca, and on his return lived in retirement in the Fayum until 1399, when he was called to resume his func tions as cadi. He was removed and reinstated in the office no fewer than five times.
In 140o he was sent to Damascus, in connection with the ex pedition intended to oppose Timur or Tamerlane. When Timur had become master of the situation he permitted Ibn Khaldun to return to Egypt. Ibn Khaldun died on March 16, 1406.
His chief work, the "Universal History," deals more particularly with the history of the Arabs of Spain and Africa, and includes a short autobiography. An edition of the Arabic text was printed at Bulaq (7 vols., 1867) and a part of the work has been translated by de Slane under the title of Histoire des Berberes (Algiers, 1852-56) . Vol. i., the Muqaddama (preface), was published by M. Quatremere (3 vols., Paris, 1858), often republished in the East, French translation by de Slane (3 vols., Paris, 1862-68) . The parts of the history referring to the expeditions of the Franks into Moslem lands were edited by C. J. Tornberg (Upsala, 184o), and the parts treating of the Banu-1 Ahmar kings of Granada were translated into French by M. Gaude froy-Demombynes in the Journal asiatique, ser. 9, vol. xiii. The Auto biography was translated into French by de Slane in the Journal asiatique, ser. 4, vol. iii. See R. Flint, History of the Philosophy of History (Edinburgh, 1893).