DECRIPTION OF THE MODULE
Items Description of the Module
Subject Name Sociology
Paper Name Classical Sociological Theory
Module Name/Title Precursors of Modern European Sociology: The
sociology of Ibnkhaldun
Pre Requisites Social sciences, philosophy of history, Aristotelian
political theory
Objectives This module seeks to present & discuss the
sociology of Ibnkhaldun as Precursors of Modern
European Sociology.
Key words Arab, human nature, Political philosophy, Political
theory, Muqaddimah, ‘asabiyyah’, Human
civilization /public sociology, Bedouin Civilization,
Dynasties, Royal Authority & the Caliphate/
political sociology, Sedentary Civilization, profit
and crafts/Economic Sociology, & the sciences /
sociology of Education.
MODULE STRUCTURE
Precursors of Modern European Sociology: The Introduction, Human civilization, Bedouin
sociology of Ibn khaldun civilization, Dynasties / royal authority,urban
sociology, economic sociology, sociology of
education & The concept of “asabiyyah”
TEAM DETAILS
Role Name Affiliation
Principal Investigator Prof Sujata Patel Dept. of Sociology, University of
Hyderabad
Paper Coordinator Vishal Jadhav Dept. of Sociology, Tilak
Maharashtra Vidyapeeth
Content Writer Vishal Jadhav Dept. of Sociology, Tilak
Maharashtra Vidyapeeth
Content Reviewer MT Joseph Dept. of Sociology, University of
Mumbai
1
, CLASSICAL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
PRECURSORS OF MODERN EUROPEAN SOCIOLOGY: THE SOCIOLOGY OF
IBNKHALDUN
INTRODUCTION
Wali ad-Din Abu Zaid ‘abdar- Rahman Muhammad (birth- 1332, death- 1406 A. D.) popularly
known as Ibn Khaldun, is accepted by many modern writers as one of the most important Muslim
historiographer, scholar and sociologist and as such making him as one of the great Muslim thinker
of the fourteenth century. He was considered as the pioneer or a precursor in the science of society
(founder of modern sociology) and the philosophy of history. While he is well-known in both the
Muslim world and the West, he has been seen more of a precursor of the various modern social
sciences and as source of historical data and information, rather than as a resource for the
development of theoretical perspectives.
Despite the fact that social thinking exist with humanity from the very beginning, however, the
study of human communities has not become a topic for a science until a later stage. Here Ibn
Khaldun was known since the concepts, subject matters and aims of Sociology were first identified
by him, who put the basics of this new science and innovated it (El-Sergany, 2015).Concerning
the discipline of sociology, he conceived a dynamic theory of history that involved
conceptualizations of social conflict and social change which is contained in his work
“Muqaddimah”(later translated as Prolegomena in Latin) as the concept of ‘asabiyyah’ which we
call “nationalism” in today’s modern context. This was perhaps the first work to advance social-
scientific reasoning on social cohesion and social conflict. Social Cohesion (or “group solidarity”,
or “tribalism”)arises spontaneously in tribes and other small kinship groups.
This paper will present IbnKhaldun’s Muqaddimah especially the concept of Asabiyyah which is
closely linked with the seven branches of our modern sociology. We will be discussed
succinctlyits framework such as: Human civilization which is tantamount to public sociology,
Bedouin Civilization, Dynasties, Royal Authority & the Caliphate which is tantamount to political
sociology, Sedentary Civilization, On the various aspects of making a living, such as profit and
crafts which is tantamount to Economic Sociology, & the various kinds of sciences which is now
the sociology of Education.
2
Items Description of the Module
Subject Name Sociology
Paper Name Classical Sociological Theory
Module Name/Title Precursors of Modern European Sociology: The
sociology of Ibnkhaldun
Pre Requisites Social sciences, philosophy of history, Aristotelian
political theory
Objectives This module seeks to present & discuss the
sociology of Ibnkhaldun as Precursors of Modern
European Sociology.
Key words Arab, human nature, Political philosophy, Political
theory, Muqaddimah, ‘asabiyyah’, Human
civilization /public sociology, Bedouin Civilization,
Dynasties, Royal Authority & the Caliphate/
political sociology, Sedentary Civilization, profit
and crafts/Economic Sociology, & the sciences /
sociology of Education.
MODULE STRUCTURE
Precursors of Modern European Sociology: The Introduction, Human civilization, Bedouin
sociology of Ibn khaldun civilization, Dynasties / royal authority,urban
sociology, economic sociology, sociology of
education & The concept of “asabiyyah”
TEAM DETAILS
Role Name Affiliation
Principal Investigator Prof Sujata Patel Dept. of Sociology, University of
Hyderabad
Paper Coordinator Vishal Jadhav Dept. of Sociology, Tilak
Maharashtra Vidyapeeth
Content Writer Vishal Jadhav Dept. of Sociology, Tilak
Maharashtra Vidyapeeth
Content Reviewer MT Joseph Dept. of Sociology, University of
Mumbai
1
, CLASSICAL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
PRECURSORS OF MODERN EUROPEAN SOCIOLOGY: THE SOCIOLOGY OF
IBNKHALDUN
INTRODUCTION
Wali ad-Din Abu Zaid ‘abdar- Rahman Muhammad (birth- 1332, death- 1406 A. D.) popularly
known as Ibn Khaldun, is accepted by many modern writers as one of the most important Muslim
historiographer, scholar and sociologist and as such making him as one of the great Muslim thinker
of the fourteenth century. He was considered as the pioneer or a precursor in the science of society
(founder of modern sociology) and the philosophy of history. While he is well-known in both the
Muslim world and the West, he has been seen more of a precursor of the various modern social
sciences and as source of historical data and information, rather than as a resource for the
development of theoretical perspectives.
Despite the fact that social thinking exist with humanity from the very beginning, however, the
study of human communities has not become a topic for a science until a later stage. Here Ibn
Khaldun was known since the concepts, subject matters and aims of Sociology were first identified
by him, who put the basics of this new science and innovated it (El-Sergany, 2015).Concerning
the discipline of sociology, he conceived a dynamic theory of history that involved
conceptualizations of social conflict and social change which is contained in his work
“Muqaddimah”(later translated as Prolegomena in Latin) as the concept of ‘asabiyyah’ which we
call “nationalism” in today’s modern context. This was perhaps the first work to advance social-
scientific reasoning on social cohesion and social conflict. Social Cohesion (or “group solidarity”,
or “tribalism”)arises spontaneously in tribes and other small kinship groups.
This paper will present IbnKhaldun’s Muqaddimah especially the concept of Asabiyyah which is
closely linked with the seven branches of our modern sociology. We will be discussed
succinctlyits framework such as: Human civilization which is tantamount to public sociology,
Bedouin Civilization, Dynasties, Royal Authority & the Caliphate which is tantamount to political
sociology, Sedentary Civilization, On the various aspects of making a living, such as profit and
crafts which is tantamount to Economic Sociology, & the various kinds of sciences which is now
the sociology of Education.
2
