4_ Abbasid Poetry

Abbasid Poetry

Historical Setting

• The Fall of the Umayyads

  • Umayyad power collapsed in 750 due to opposition movements.

  • Main impetus for change came from Khorasan, with an alliance of Arab settlers and Iranian mawali.

  • Leadership was provided by descendants of ‘Abbas, the uncle of the Prophet.

  • Abu Muslim sent to Khorasan, formed an army, marching westward to defeat the Umayyads.

  • Change of leadership marked by the shift of the capital from Damascus to Baghdad.

First ‘Abbasids (749 CE)

• Establishment of New Leadership

  • 749 CE: Abu ’l-‘Abbas is nominated as the new caliph (Amīr al-Mu’minīn).

  • 754 CE: Death of Abu Muslim, enabling al-Manṣūr to consolidate the authority of the new dynasty.

Shift to the East

• Founding of Baghdad

  • Baghdad founded in 762 CE by al-Manṣūr, quickly gains in prosperity.

  • Prior to this, Kufa was the capital.

  • The shift of the center of gravity from Damascus to Baghdad leads to increased Persian influence.

  • Increase in trade via Basra, extending as far as China (by 850), Southern Europe, and Russia.

  • Battle of Talas (751): Leads to Muslims learning paper-making from Chinese prisoners, revolutionizing knowledge transmission throughout the Islamic empire.

Hārūn al-Rashīd

• Early ‘Abbasid Golden Age

  • ‘Golden Age’ of classical Arab civilization up to the 11th Century.

  • Abbasid Silver Age: from the 11th Century to the 13th Century.

  • Hārūn al-Rashīd (786-809 C.E.): contemporary of Charlemagne, embodies the peak of ‘Abbasid culture.

  • Universal character with sophisticated intellectual life; integrates Hellenistic, Indian, and Persian philosophies.

‘Abbasid Culture

• Cultural Integration

  • Draws on cultures of adjoining civilizations.

  • Practical requirements include medicine, mathematics, geography, and astronomy; important for religious practices (e.g. Ramadan, qibla).

  • Translation movement into Arabic from Greek, Syriac, Persian, and Sanskrit.

  • Caliph al-Ma’mūn founded Bayt al-Hikma (‘House of Wisdom’), a translation institute under Hunayn ibn Isḥāq.

  • This movement stimulated production of original works in Arabic.

Fragmentation of Islamic Empire

• Political Disunity

  • Political unity begins to erode early, with the Umayyads in Spain breaking away in 756 CE.

  • In 868 CE, Ahmad ibn Tulūn establishes independence in Egypt, Syria, and Palestine.

  • By 930 CE, Qarāmiṭa sack Mecca.

  • In 969 CE, Fatimids capture Cairo, establishing it as a rival center to Baghdad.

‘Abbasid Poetry

• Cultural Flourishing

  • Second flowering of classical Arabic poetry during the ‘Abbasid period.

  • The shift of the capital to Baghdad invited Persian influences, yielding poetry that reflects tensions:

    • Arab vs. Persian (shu‘ubiyya).

    • Traditional desert environment vs. urban values.

  • Poetry remained structurally conservative with established meters and rhymes.

  • Importance of Patronage grows in influencing poets' work.

Schools of Poetry

• Neo-Classical vs. Modernist

  • Neo-Classical Poets: Tradition-oriented, including Abu Tammam, al-Mutanabbi, al-Buhturi.

  • Modernist Poets: Departed from rigid qasida structure; often half-Arabs or non-Arabs:

    • Notable figures: Abu Nuwas, Bashshar ibn Burd, Ibn al-Rumi, Abu al-‘Atahiyah.

  • Al-Mutanabbi known for panegyric poetry for Sayf al-Dawlah; later associated with the court of Kāfūr.

  • Sufi poetry flourished with poets like Al-Hallaj and Ibn 'Arabi.

Bashshar ibn Burd

• Poetic Contributions

  • Bashshar ibn Burd (d.794): Blind poet of Persian descent.

  • Known for poetry reflecting shu‘ubi sentiments, contrasting the manners of Arabs with the cultured perspectives of Persians as heirs to ancient civilization.

Abu Nuwas

• Reverberations in Wine Poetry

  • Abū Nuwās (d. 810): Half-Persian, famed for classical Arabic wine poetry (khamriyya).

  • Notable for mocking traditional conventions, particularly the motif of nasīb in classical qasīda.

Selected Verses by Abu Nuwas

• Wine Poetry Example

  • *"يا عارم الطرف Too subtle to touch, Like the moon on the water, she eludes the beholder’s grasp..."

• His verses explore themes of desire and spiritual intoxication through wine metaphors.

Al-Mutanabbi

• Prominence in Poetry

  • Al-Mutanabbī (d. 965): Widely regarded among the greatest Arab poets.

  • His work is characterized by forcefulness, inventive imagery, and technical skill.

  • Associated with Sayf al-Dawla, known for his extreme self-glorification; ultimately killed by brigands near Baghdad.

Al-Ma‘arri

• Rationalist Poetic Views

  • Al-Ma‘arri (d. 1058): Blind and rationalist with a pessimistic outlook.

  • Best known for Luzūmiyyāt, reflecting on the nature of life and folly.

  • Known epitaph: "This wrong was by my father done to me, but never by me to one."

End of the ‘Abbasid Caliphate

• Historical Conclusion

  • The ‘Abbasid caliphate ended in 1258 with the sacking of Baghdad by the Mongols under Hulagu Khan.