A Study on Gardīzī's Historiography in Zayn al-Akhbār

Gardīzī is one of the last historians of the first Ghaznavid period. His biography is vague and unknown and Zayn al-Akhbār is his only historical work. This article seeks to examine Gardīzī approach as well as method in  his historiography. Gardīzī has written Zayn al-Akhbār as a general history and possibly influenced by Abu Rihan's works, he  have paid special attention to social themes and devoted parts of his book to recognizing ethnic groups and representing different cultures. There is also a kind of religious tolerance can be found in his work, however, he is not completely neutral in some narrations. He has a less fanatical among the historians of this era in looking at different religions. Sometimes he has explained, analyzed and criticized, even superficially and as a result, he has chosen a moderate rational and narrative approach. Gardīzī's weakness is his excessive adherence to abridgment.