Malba Tahan
Encyclopedia
Malba Tahan, full name Ali Yezzid Izz-Edin ibn-Salim Hanak Malba Tahan, was a fictitious Persian
scholar. He was the creation and frequent pen name of Brazilian author Júlio César de Mello e Souza
.
(ostensibly written in the month of Ramadan in the year of the Hijrah 1321, corresponding to November 1903), Malba Tahan was a native and well-connected resident of Baghdad
, a sharif
(a descendant of Caliph
Ali Ibn Abi Talib), and a hajj
(a Muslim
who made the pilgrimage to Mecca).
In the year of the Hijrah 1255 1839, Malba Tahan moved to Constantinople with his lifelong friend Beremiz Samir
, the namesake of Malba's book The Man Who Counted.
(possibly modern Muzahmiyya
). He lived for 12 years in Manchester
, England
, where his father was a prosperous merchant. After his father retired, the family moved to Cairo
where they remained prosperous. Malba Tahan studied first in Cairo and afterwards went to Constantinople
where he concluded his studies of social science. His first literary works date from this period and were published in Turkish
in several newspapers and magazines. He was still a young man when his friend emir
Abd el-Azziz ben Ibrahim appointed him mayor of Medina
, a post which he filled with distinction for several years. In 1912, at the age of 27, he received a large inheritance from his father, which allowed him to travel widely around the world, including China
, Japan
, Russia
and India
, and Europe
. He died in July 1931 near Riyadh
, Arabia, fighting for the freedom of a local tribe.
from the oasis" in Arabic
. But Tahan was in fact the surname of one of Juiu Sousa's students, Maria Zechsuk Tahan.
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
scholar. He was the creation and frequent pen name of Brazilian author Júlio César de Mello e Souza
Júlio César de Mello e Souza
Júlio César de Mello e Souza , was a Brazilian writer and mathematics professor. He is well known in Brazil and abroad by his books on recreational mathematics, most of them published under the pen names of Malba Tahan and Breno de Alencar Bianco.He has been called by one biographer "the only...
.
Biography
According to the dedication and introductory chapters of The Man Who CountedThe Man Who Counted
The Man Who Counted is a book on recreational mathematics and curious word problems by Brazilian writer Júlio César de Mello e Souza, published under the pen name Malba Tahan...
(ostensibly written in the month of Ramadan in the year of the Hijrah 1321, corresponding to November 1903), Malba Tahan was a native and well-connected resident of Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, a sharif
Sharif
Sharīf or Chérif is a traditional Arab tribal title given to those who serve as the protector of the tribe and all tribal assets, such as property, wells, and land. In origin, the word is an adjective meaning "noble", "highborn". The feminine singular is sharifa...
(a descendant of Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Ali Ibn Abi Talib), and a hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
(a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
who made the pilgrimage to Mecca).
In the year of the Hijrah 1255 1839, Malba Tahan moved to Constantinople with his lifelong friend Beremiz Samir
Beremiz Samir
Beremiz Samir, nicknamed The Man Who Counted or The Man who Calculated, was a fictitious Persian mathematician of the 13th century, created by Brazilian writer Júlio César de Mello e Souza....
, the namesake of Malba's book The Man Who Counted.
Alternate biography
In other works by Julio César, however , Malba Tahan was born on May 6, 1885 in the village of Muzalit, near MeccaMecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
(possibly modern Muzahmiyya
Muzahmiyya
Al-Muzahmiyah is a small town located 40 km southwest of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on the important Riyadh-Mecca Highway. It lies in a wide valley known as Wadi Al-Batin, and was founded in the 16th century as a colony of small independent farms and estates that later joined together to...
). He lived for 12 years in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where his father was a prosperous merchant. After his father retired, the family moved to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
where they remained prosperous. Malba Tahan studied first in Cairo and afterwards went to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
where he concluded his studies of social science. His first literary works date from this period and were published in Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
in several newspapers and magazines. He was still a young man when his friend emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
Abd el-Azziz ben Ibrahim appointed him mayor of Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
, a post which he filled with distinction for several years. In 1912, at the age of 27, he received a large inheritance from his father, which allowed him to travel widely around the world, including China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He died in July 1931 near Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
, Arabia, fighting for the freedom of a local tribe.
Origin of the name
Malba Tahan is said to mean "the millerMiller
A miller usually refers to a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a cereal crop to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world...
from the oasis" in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. But Tahan was in fact the surname of one of Juiu Sousa's students, Maria Zechsuk Tahan.