2 - Writing a Network, Constructing a Tradition

Summary

Chapter 2 demonstrates how the first work of Ibadi prosopography called the Kitab al-sira constructed a written network that laid the foundation for an Ibadi tradition in Northern Africa in the eleventh century. The chapter begins by examining the interplay among the work’s structure, its intended aims, and the historical context out of which it emerged. It focuses on how the Kitab al-sira wove together literary themes to create a historical narrative of seamless transition from the Rustamid dynasty in the eighth century to Ibadi scholars of the eleventh. The chapter then turns its attention to the written network of Ibadi scholars. Employing tools from network analysis and using network maps, it reveals how the Kitab al-sira used stories about a handful of individual scholars to create a community.