Abdulrahman al-Jabarti

A historian whose detailed chronicles of Napoleon's invasion of Egypt reshaped Middle Eastern historiography.

Abdulrahman al-Jabarti (1753–1825) was an Egyptian historian and scholar whose seminal work Chronicle of the French Occupation of Egypt provided unparalleled first-hand accounts of Napoleon Bonaparte's 1798 invasion. His writings, preserved in the British Museum, documented the socio-political upheaval with unprecedented detail, influencing 19th-century Egyptian nationalism. Jabarti's work became foundational for understanding colonial dynamics through indigenous perspectives, later cited in academic studies on Arab intellectual history. His calligraphy preserved in the National Gallery of Art demonstrates his dual role as scholar and artist.