Ibn Gharsiya
Encyclopedia
Abu Amir Ahmad Ibn Gharsiya al-Bashqunsi (died 1084), popularly known as Ibn Gharsiya was a Muwallad
poet and katib (writer) in the taifa
court of Denia
.
Ibn Gharsiya was a leading figure in the Shu'ubiyya
movement of Al-Andalus. He should not be confused with a Cordoban faqih
of the same name.
family, but was taken prisoner in his childhood and raised in the Islamic faith. He grew up proficient and eloquent in both Classical Arabic
and the colloquial Andalusi Arabic dialect. Ibn Gharsiya was proud of his Basque origin and remained a life long fervent Muslim throughout his lifetime. His surname al-Bashqunsi is the Arabic word for Basque, and therefore, signified his Basque heritage. He served under the Slavic Emir
of Denia
, Mujahid al-Amiri, and his son, Ali ibn Mujahid. Like Ibn Gharsiya, the ruling family of Denia were also Muladi and had broken free from the Caliphate of Cordoba
after the turbulent year of 1009. Like other taifas, his kingdom had sought to distance itself from the Umayyad period. Ibn Gharsiya subsequently spent most of his life as a katib at the court of Denia.
.
against the Arab
ascendancy in Al-Andalus, which concurrently praises non-Arab Islam. Opponents of this work have called it violent, insulting and bitter in its attack on the Arabs and, contrary to prevailing tradition, it criticises Arab Muslims as inferior in rank and lineage. Simultaneously, it glorifies non-Arab Muslims, such as the Berbers
, and also those converts from the Visigoths, Slavs, and Romans
.
In the risala, Ibn Gharsiya asserts cultural superiority of the Muwalladun over the Arabs by diminishing and belittling Arab culture. While he boasts about the Muladi mastery of natural philosophy, exact logic, astronomy, music, arithmetic and geometry, he ridicules Arabs as "experts in the description of towering camels." He also tries to show that Non-Arab rule in Denia was much better than those of the other taifas. By doing so, he attempted to formulate and legitimise a non-Arab alternative to Arab rule which involved combining Arab and non-Arab traditions, which were mainly Persian
and Byzantine
. This gave him an opportunity to debate with the Arab Islamic scholar, Abu Ja'far Ahmad ibn al-Jazzar, who had been present at the court of Ibn Sumadih, Emir of Almeria
. However, according to the Escorial manuscript, the letter was addressed to a certain, Abu Abd'Allah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn al-Haddad al-Quaisi. However, despite this difference, it is clear that the addressee was linked to the court of Ibn Sumadih and to the taifa state of Almeria.
Ibn Gharsiya's epistle addresses some of the most fundamental and important questions in the Muslim community of Al-Andalus at the time, such as the relationshp between the Arabs and Berbers of the Islamic faith with the Muwalladun, who were the descendants of the indigenous Iberian
converts to Islam
. Ibn Gharsiya stressed that a sound interpretaion of Islam should also be of value to the non-Arab Muslims. This epistle represents the adoption of the Eastern Shu'ubi ideology by many indigenous Andalusian Muslims, which argued against Arab exclusivity, as expressed in their treatises comparing the Arabs unfavourably with the Persians and the Byzantines.
Ibn Gharsiya's risala was written in Arabic courtly prose; thus it did not represent a rejection of Arabic literary culture, but only of Arab lineage. According to the Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature, this risala was of minor importance, and its few exponents tended to repeat clichés adopted from the earlier Islamic East. The risala elicited at least seven refutations, only five of which actually survive. Like the original, the refutations seem to have been written in imitation of eastern models. Only one of the refutations was specifically directed against Ibn Gharsiya. American scholar James T. Monroe
states that the fact of Ibn Gharsiya's risala against the Arabs going unpunished, indicates that the cause of Arabism
as a meaningful social force had ceased to have any political significance.
Göran Larsson, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden
, points out that in spite of his extensive use of Persian traditions in his risala, Ibn Gharsiya was not promoting a specifically Persian sovereign, merely a non-Arab model of rule. To this, Monroe adds:
Muladi
The Muladi were Muslims of ethnic Iberian descent or of mixed Arab, Berber and European origin, who lived in Al-Andalus during the Middle Ages. They were also called "Musalima" .-Etymology:...
poet and katib (writer) in the taifa
Taifa
In the history of the Iberian Peninsula, a taifa was an independent Muslim-ruled principality, usually an emirate or petty kingdom, though there was one oligarchy, of which a number formed in the Al-Andalus after the final collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031.-Rise:The origins of...
court of Denia
Dénia
Dénia is a city in the province of Alicante, Spain, on the Costa Blanca halfway between Alicante and Valencia, the judicial seat of the comarca of Marina Alta...
.
Ibn Gharsiya was a leading figure in the Shu'ubiyya
Shu'ubiyya
Shu'ubiyyah refers to the response by non-Arab Muslims to the privileged status of Arabs within the Ummah.There has been discrimination and in many cases oppression of minority groups resulting in many defined periods of cultural struggle throughout Islamic History.-Terminology:The name of the...
movement of Al-Andalus. He should not be confused with a Cordoban faqih
Faqih
A Faqīh is an expert in fiqh, or, Islamic jurisprudence.A faqih is an expert in Islamic Law, and, as such, the word Faqih can literally be generally translated as Jurist.- The definition of Fiqh and its relation to the Faqih:...
of the same name.
Personal background
Ibn Gharsiya was born into a Christian BasqueBasque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
family, but was taken prisoner in his childhood and raised in the Islamic faith. He grew up proficient and eloquent in both Classical Arabic
Classical Arabic
Classical Arabic , also known as Qur'anic or Koranic Arabic, is the form of the Arabic language used in literary texts from Umayyad and Abbasid times . It is based on the Medieval dialects of Arab tribes...
and the colloquial Andalusi Arabic dialect. Ibn Gharsiya was proud of his Basque origin and remained a life long fervent Muslim throughout his lifetime. His surname al-Bashqunsi is the Arabic word for Basque, and therefore, signified his Basque heritage. He served under the Slavic 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...
of Denia
Dénia
Dénia is a city in the province of Alicante, Spain, on the Costa Blanca halfway between Alicante and Valencia, the judicial seat of the comarca of Marina Alta...
, Mujahid al-Amiri, and his son, Ali ibn Mujahid. Like Ibn Gharsiya, the ruling family of Denia were also Muladi and had broken free from the Caliphate of Cordoba
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
after the turbulent year of 1009. Like other taifas, his kingdom had sought to distance itself from the Umayyad period. Ibn Gharsiya subsequently spent most of his life as a katib at the court of Denia.
Ideology
Ibn Gharsiya was a leading proponent and advocate of the Shu'ubiyya thought in Al-Andalus. The Shu'ubiyya movement demanded equality of power, wealth and status of the Non-Arab Berbers and Muwalladun by Arabs. In common with the Arabs, they were very active in promoting the Arab-Islamic culture and language and claimed cultural integration with the Arab ethnic groups—as had been achieved by the non-Arab Semitic peoples of the Middle EastMiddle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
The risala of Ibn Gharsiya
Between 1051 and 1056, Ibn Gharsiya wrote a risalaRisala
Risāla means "message" in Arabic. It is also an Islamic term that has a broader meaning.- Islamic term :The Message is sometimes a way to refer to Islam. In the Islamic context, ar-Risāla means scriptures revealed from God through a Messenger to the people...
against the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
ascendancy in Al-Andalus, which concurrently praises non-Arab Islam. Opponents of this work have called it violent, insulting and bitter in its attack on the Arabs and, contrary to prevailing tradition, it criticises Arab Muslims as inferior in rank and lineage. Simultaneously, it glorifies non-Arab Muslims, such as the Berbers
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
, and also those converts from the Visigoths, Slavs, and Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
.
In the risala, Ibn Gharsiya asserts cultural superiority of the Muwalladun over the Arabs by diminishing and belittling Arab culture. While he boasts about the Muladi mastery of natural philosophy, exact logic, astronomy, music, arithmetic and geometry, he ridicules Arabs as "experts in the description of towering camels." He also tries to show that Non-Arab rule in Denia was much better than those of the other taifas. By doing so, he attempted to formulate and legitimise a non-Arab alternative to Arab rule which involved combining Arab and non-Arab traditions, which were mainly Persian
Culture of Iran
To best understand Iran, Afghanistan, their related societies and their people, one must first attempt to acquire an understanding of their culture. It is in the study of this area where the Persian identity optimally expresses itself...
and Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
. This gave him an opportunity to debate with the Arab Islamic scholar, Abu Ja'far Ahmad ibn al-Jazzar, who had been present at the court of Ibn Sumadih, Emir of Almeria
Almería
Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
. However, according to the Escorial manuscript, the letter was addressed to a certain, Abu Abd'Allah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn al-Haddad al-Quaisi. However, despite this difference, it is clear that the addressee was linked to the court of Ibn Sumadih and to the taifa state of Almeria.
Ibn Gharsiya's epistle addresses some of the most fundamental and important questions in the Muslim community of Al-Andalus at the time, such as the relationshp between the Arabs and Berbers of the Islamic faith with the Muwalladun, who were the descendants of the indigenous Iberian
Iberians
The Iberians were a set of peoples that Greek and Roman sources identified with that name in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian peninsula at least from the 6th century BC...
converts to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Ibn Gharsiya stressed that a sound interpretaion of Islam should also be of value to the non-Arab Muslims. This epistle represents the adoption of the Eastern Shu'ubi ideology by many indigenous Andalusian Muslims, which argued against Arab exclusivity, as expressed in their treatises comparing the Arabs unfavourably with the Persians and the Byzantines.
Ibn Gharsiya's risala was written in Arabic courtly prose; thus it did not represent a rejection of Arabic literary culture, but only of Arab lineage. According to the Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature, this risala was of minor importance, and its few exponents tended to repeat clichés adopted from the earlier Islamic East. The risala elicited at least seven refutations, only five of which actually survive. Like the original, the refutations seem to have been written in imitation of eastern models. Only one of the refutations was specifically directed against Ibn Gharsiya. American scholar James T. Monroe
James T. Monroe
James T. Monroe is an American scholar. He is emeritus professor of Arabic and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, focusing on Classical Arabic Literature and Hispano-Arabic Literature...
states that the fact of Ibn Gharsiya's risala against the Arabs going unpunished, indicates that the cause of Arabism
Arabism
Arabism, the Arabness, of a people, of culture.For movements in the Arab world, please see: Arab nationalism, pan-Arabism, Ba'athism. It can refer to both, race or/and culture...
as a meaningful social force had ceased to have any political significance.
Göran Larsson, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, points out that in spite of his extensive use of Persian traditions in his risala, Ibn Gharsiya was not promoting a specifically Persian sovereign, merely a non-Arab model of rule. To this, Monroe adds:
Legacy
Besides the epistle, the only words from Ibn Gharsiya that has been preserved are some lines by the 12th century Andalusian geographer, historian and writer, Ibn Said al-Maghribi. These lines are believed to have been composed in praise of Ibn Gharsiya's lord, Ali ibn Mujahid. During the course of praising Ibn Gharsiya, Ibn Said says:See also
- Arabic literatureArabic literatureArabic literature is the writing produced, both prose and poetry, by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is adab which is derived from a meaning of etiquette, and implies politeness, culture and enrichment....
- Bashar ibn BurdBashar ibn BurdBashār ibn Burd nicknamed "al-Mura'ath" meaning the wattled, was a poet in the late Umayyad and the early Abbasid periods. Bashar was of Persian origin; his grandfather was taken as a captive to Iraq, his father was a freedman of the Uqayl tribe. Some Arab scholars considered Bashar the first...
– famous Shu'ubi poet. - Banu QasiBanu QasiThe Banu Qasi, Banu Kasi, Beni Casi or Banu Musa were a Basque Muladi dynasty that ruled the upper Ebro valley in the 9th century, before being displaced in the first quarter of the 10th century.-Dynastic beginnings:...
– Basque Muslim dynasty. - Count CassiusCount CassiusCount Cassius , also Count Casius, kumis Kasi or kumis Qasi, was a Hispano-Roman or Visigothic nobleman that originated the Banu Qasi dynasty....
– progenitor of the Banu Qasi dynasty. - Umar ibn HafsunUmar ibn Hafsun`Umar ibn Hafsun ibn Ja'far ibn Salim , known in Spanish history as Omar ben Hafsun, was a 9th century Christian leader of anti-Ummayad dynasty forces in southern Iberia.-Ancestry:...
– Anti-Umayyad rebel leder.