1348 Plague and Its Effects on Ibn Khaldun

Abstract

Ibn Khaldun’s life story is extraordinary. This extraordinariness is not only related
to his duties, but also to the lessons he learned from the plague epidemic. For this reason,
this study, which emerged as the product of long research, aims to comprehend the
historical model put forward by him based on the effects of the 1348 Plague Epidemic
in his life. The author of these lines has long sought answers to the question of why Ibn
Khaldun despised settled societies. In the research process carried out in this context, the
strong links that Gabriel Martinez-Gros and Allen James Fromherz established between
the plague and Ibn Khaldun’s thoughts in the works cited in the bibliography were a source
of inspiration. In this context, it was a necessity to start the article with Ibn Khaldun’s
biography in order to better understand the main problematic. In addition, evaluating the
important natural and political developments that we have recently experienced, especially
Covid-19, from his perspective or trying to understand him from the perspective of
these events also offers keys that exceed expectations for a historian. For the civilizations
in the decaying process pointed out by Ibn Khaldun; Emphasizing the vital roles played
by epidemics, wars, and enemy invasions, a few suggestions will be made on the similarities
or differences of the 1348 Plague Outbreak with the Covid-19 process.