About the book: 1963 / “The amazing history of the past in biographies and chronicles of events” - the work of the outstanding historian of modern Egypt Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti (1756 —1825), a contemporary of the last Mamluk beys of the Ottoman period like Ibrahim Katkhod al-Kazdoglu, 'Ali Bey, nicknamed Balut Kaban and others, an eyewitness of Napoleon's invasion of Egypt and the main transformations of Muhammad 'Ali, - occupies a special place among the eastern chronicles. History of the first quarter of the 19th century. it is given in a bright, accusatory form. It contains a lot of data revealing the actual situation of the Egyptian peasantry, which, as a rule, was kept silent in the literature that interpreted the events of that time. The entirety of the historical and living conditions of Egypt during this period is reflected in the tropics with exceptional completeness. Therefore, the study of the modern history of Egypt, especially its economic development under Muhammad 'Ali, is impossible without the use of this first-class source. Thus, it can be stated that “The Amazing History of the Past in Lives and Chronicles of Events” is the most valuable source for the study of Egypt in modern times. Abd ar-Rahman al-Jabarti was born in 1167/1753 Al-Jabarti - immigrants from Ethiopia , from the Jabart region (Kingdom of Shoa), where Islam began to penetrate early, as a result of which it was customary to call the inhabitants of Ethiopia who converted to Islam Jabartians. The emigrant flow of Muslim Ethiopians has long gone to Mecca, Medina and Cairo, where in al-Azhar, like theological students from other parts of the Muslim world, the Dakabartians had their own community (riwaq in Arabic). The historian's ancestor is Sheikh 'Abd ar-Rahman - moved to Egypt at the beginning of the 10th century. Hijra (XVI century AD). In al-Azhar, 'Abd ar-Rahman led the Jabarti riwaq. After the death of 'Abd ar-Rahman, over the next three centuries the functions of the head of the riwaq were performed by his descendants. The chronicle of al-Jabarti was banned for a long time. The vicissitudes associated with the printing of the chronicle cannot be considered in isolation from the fact of the violent death of its author. According to numerous rumors, Muhammad 'Ali was considered the true culprit of al-Jabarti's death. In the bibliographic note to the French translation, one of the versions is given, according to which Muhammad Bey Daftardar “out of his rancor towards Jabarti, inspired Muhammad 'Ali that in the chronicle compiled by Jabarti, the course of action of the ruler of Egypt was subjected to caustic criticism. Then the Pasha ordered one of his agents to steal several fragments of the chronicle, which would give him the opportunity to see for himself what he had heard. Muhammad 'Ali actually became convinced that the author had not been careful towards him, and in the heat of anger the Pasha instructed his servants to rid him of this chronicler.