Ibn Mammati: His Life and His Book “Qawanin al-Dawawin” (Died in 606 AH / 1209 CE)

Christian historians in Islamic Egypt were not interested in general history only, as did John al-Naqyusi and Said bin Tariq, or in the history of biographies and biographies, as did Sawiris bin al-Muqaffa in his book “The History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria”. However, they excelled in another type of historical writing that is no less important than the previous two types, which is writing in systems, civilization and plans; They wrote about government systems, financial laws, management methods, agricultural affairs, and surveying engineering(1), as did Ibn Mammati in his book ” Qawānīn al-Dawāwīn “. As for the plans(2) and the history of churches and monasteries, another historian known as Abu al-Makarem bin Gerges bin Masoud took care of them in his book “The History of the Churches and Monasteries of Egypt”. These two books have their own importance in the study of Islamic systems and civilization, especially in Egypt during the transition period from Fatimid rule to Ayyubid rule, specifically during the twelfth century AD (sixth AH), as they are indispensable sources for the history of this period. In this study, the book “Laws of Divans” by Ibn Mammati is studied and demonstrated its importance as a source of Islamic history and the history of Egypt in this period. The research included three demands, dealing with the first requirement: his name, lineage and birth. In it, we studied his culture, the most important features of his personality, his writings, and the definition of the book “Laws of Divans”. As for the second section, the approach of Ibn Mammati in the book “Laws of Divans” was studied analytically, while the third topic focused on the importance of the book “Laws of Divans” as a source of Islamic civilization and systems.