The Image of the Baghdadis in Ibn Jubayr?s Travel Account: An Analytical and Comparative Study in Light of Geographical and Historical Sources

Abstract The descriptive discourse of the Andalusian traveler Ibn Jubayr (d. 614 AH/1217 CE) concerning the morals of the Baghdadis presents an epistemological paradox worthy of critical examination. His sharp critical descriptions appear to conflict with the positive image drawn by historians of regions and travelers regarding the people of Iraq throughout the ages. Based on this problematique, this study seeks to re-examine the image of the ?Other? in Ibn Jubayr?s travel account by investigating the motives behind his critical judgment and situating it within its proper historical and social context, rather than hastily attributing it to personal bias. To achieve this objective, the study adopts a discourse analysis approach through a cross-comparative examination of Ibn Jubayr?s text and the writings of his contemporaries and predecessors, such as al-Mas??d?, al-Maqdis?, and Y?q?t al-?amaw?. It also traces changes in the structure of Baghdadi society amid the political disturbances that preceded the Mongol invasion. The study concludes that Ibn Jubayr?s descriptions reflect a precise field observation of deteriorating moral and social phenomena resulting from the state of social anxiety that characterized his era. This conclusion is further supported by the variation in his judgments regarding different Iraqi cities, as evidenced by his praise of Mosul and Tikrit, which refutes accusations of generalization or prejudice and confirms that his observations constituted a response to a troubled sociological and historical reality in Baghdad at the time.