The evolution of the historical writing method from the 5th century BC to the present day

Abstract

The text treats the evolution of historical writing methods from the West to the Islamic world and up to modern approaches, highlighting major transformations in understanding history and methods of study. It traces the development from Herodotus to the Annales School, focusing on figures like Arnold Toynbee and Ibn Khaldun, as well as the advancement of historiography In the Islamic world, with prominent historians such as al-Tabari, al-Masudi, Ibn al-Athir, and others. Historical writing covered diverse areas, including biographies, chronicles, local history, and the history of countries.

Contemporary historical research has further developed, relying on auxiliary sciences such as archaeology, geography, law, languages, and social and economic sciences, to achieve a more precise understanding of human phenomena.