Ibn Khaldun was a historian and scholar among other things. He was born in Tunis, Tunisia, North Africa in 1337. In the first chapter of “The Muqaddimah,” Human Civilization in General, ibn Khaldun describes man as “'political' by nature” (45). I found this interesting because what he means by political and what most people consider political today are very different. Khaldun simply refers to man actually needing some form of social civilization. He provides an example of a basic form of society in chapter two, entitled Bedouin Civilization, Savage Nations and Tribes, and Their Conditions of Living, including several basic and explanatory statements. ibn Khaldun refers to the Bedouin peoples as a people who live by agriculture and animal husbandry. They are a people who limit themselves to the luxuries of most sedentary people. ibn Khaldun states that this way of life brings them closer to God. Bedouins are also braver than sedentary peoples because sedentary people are too accustomed to living an easy life. Thesiger seems to have a different idea of Bedouin society...
tags