Iranian Journal for the History of Islamic Civilization

Iranian Journal for the History of Islamic Civilization

In Search of Lost Unity: Ibn Jubayr’s Rihla and the Aspiration for the Unity of the Islamic Caliphate in the Sixth Century AH

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
amirhosein kermani 1
bahman zaynali 2
1 Ph.D. Candidate in Islamic History, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Isfahan, Isfahan Province, Iran
2 Associate Professor of Islamic History, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Isfahan, Isfahan Province, Iran
10.22059/jhic.2026.411898.654641
Abstract
Medieval Islamic travel accounts, beyond recording geographical and cultural observations, also convey representations of political order and the authors’ religious and social concerns. Ibn Jubayr’s Rihla was composed during one of the most critical periods in Islamic history in the sixth century AH, when the Islamic world was experiencing a decline in caliphal authority. This study asks whether the Rihla can be read as more than a pilgrimage-travel narrative and, if so, what kind of linguistic and political acts it performs within its historical context. Drawing on Quentin Skinner’s contextualist approach, the study examines Ibn Jubayr’s Rihla in relation to the political and intellectual milieu of its composition and treats the text not merely as a travel account but as a speech act embedded in the conflicts of the sixth-century Islamic world. The findings suggest that Ibn Jubayr repeatedly represents external threats, internal divisions within the Islamic world, and the condition of Muslim communities across different regions. His favorable portrayal of the Ayyubids and Almohads further indicates a sensitivity to political and religious cohesion in the Islamic world. Moreover, certain spatial and military descriptions go beyond simple observation and invite a political and strategic reading. The study concludes that the Rihla reflects concerns about the fragmentation of Islamic unity and an aspiration for greater cohesion, although demonstrating the existence of a coherent political program requires evidence beyond the text itself.
Keywords
Al-Rihlah-Kinana
Ibn Jubayr
Unity of the Caliphate
Disintegration of the Caliphate
Ayyubids
Almohads
Quentin Skinner
Subjects
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Iranian Journal for the History of Islamic Civilization
Volume 59, Issue 1
(Spring & Summer 2026)
September 2026
Pages 125-144

  • Receive Date 26 February 2026
  • Revise Date 29 May 2026
  • Accept Date 29 August 2026