On Wednesday morning 22/12/2021, a master thesis, entitled “Social and Economic Life in Andalusia through Ibn al-Attar’s Book of Documents and Records (370-399 AH/980-1008AD)”, was discussed in the History Department at the College of Arts / University of Basrah.
The thesis presented by the researcher Aqeel Muhammad Jaber included a preface and three chapters. The preface included the definition of Ibn al-Attar, the first chapter discussed the books of documents as a source for studying the history of Andalusia, the second chapter dealt with social life in Andalusia, and the third chapter touched on the economic life in Andalusia.
The study concluded that Ibn al-Attar in the Book of Documents and Records presented a set of important documents through which the researcher was able to give a picture, although it was not integrated with all its aspects, it introduced us to that society and its elements. We also learned about the life of the Andalusian family and its traditions of marriage, divorce, care of orphans and their affairs, in addition to the conditions of slaves, their private life, the way of dealing with them, and the society's view of them.
The study also showed the features of economic life in the country of Andalusia, as agriculture constituted the top of the pyramid for the Andalusian economic activity due to the nature of Andalusia suitable for agriculture, the large number of its water resources, the fertility of its soil, and the interest of its people in agriculture, irrigation and raising animals and livestock to benefit from them in dairy, meat, and leather and to use them in some work and transportation. All of that had a positive impact on the renaissance of the social and agricultural reality of Andalusia.
