The Book of the Two Gardens on the History of the Two States

Al-Nouriya and Al-Salahiya 1-5

Author's name: Abu Shama

In this book, Abu Shama chronicles a period of half a century, from 540 AH to 589 AH. This era encompasses two states: the Nurid state, led by Nur ad-Din Zangi (511-569 AH), and the Saladin state, whose foundations were laid by Saladin until his death in 589 AH. Abu Shama traces the achievements of both Nur ad-Din and Saladin, discussing various topics related to the state and warfare, such as troop movements, descriptions of weapons, battles, fortresses, and warships. He also recounts the confrontations between the two sides, drawing upon official documents and poems about the battles, which his book serves as a primary source for, given his meticulous collection and organization of these texts. The value of this book lies in the nature of historical writing in that era, which was based on transmission and collection. The book Al-Rawdatayn transmits many texts from the books of Ibn Asakir, Al-Imad Al-Isfahani, Ibn Al-Athir, Ibn Shaddad, and the letters of Al-Qadi Al-Fadil, but it does well in coordination, linking, and arrangement.