Tuhfat al-umara fi tarikh al-vuzara as a historical source in the study of Derbent in the 10th century

Abstract

The article is devoted to the examination of the historical event which took place in Derbent in the 10th century during the reign of Yusuf b. Divdad, the Abbasid governor in the Eastern Caucasus in the Arabic historical source Tuhfat al-Umara fi Tarikh fl-Vuzara by Khilal al-Sabi (d.1056). He was a Muslim historian, expert in Arabic literature and famous secretary to the Buid viziers: Bahau al-Dawla (989–1012) and Sultan al-Dawla (1012–1021). The article is based on the content analysis of the most popular written work in the Arabic literary genre, known as biography. The author highlights the creative activity of Yusuf b. Divdad who first among the rulers of Derbent undertook the repair of the underwater part of the defensive wall that collapsed during his rule. The article provides a thorough description of the Arabic manuscript, introduces into scientific circulation the formerly unstudied historical work of the classical Arabic author in Russian Oriental studies, and analyses its thematic content. Refs 13.