A Look at Saudi Historiographical Paradigms

The Saudi historiography started by the rise of Saudi dynasty in central Arabia in 1744، when Muhammad ibn Saud، the tribal ruler of the town of Ad-Dir''iyyah near Riyadh، and Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab، the religious leader were united. Several Paradigm shave been used to form such historiography in different periods. Firstly، the Najdian and the Baghdadian Paradigms can be discussed from locational–cultural point of view about the rise of Saudi dynasty. The Wahhabid and the Najd elements would be focused in the first and the second Paradigms، respectively. The differences between several periods have made different paradigms in Saudi historiography. So، in terms of identity، two kinds of Saudi historiography، the early (the first rule of Saudi dynasty) and the recent (after the third rule of Saudis)، can be distinguished.