History and Memory in the Abbasid Caliphate: Writing the Past in Medieval Arabic Literature (Early and Medieval Islamic World)

Abu Bakr al-Suli was an Abbasid polymath and table companion, as well as a legendary chess player. He was perhaps best known for his work on poetry and chancery, which would have a long-lasting influence on Arabic literature. His decades of service at the court of at least three caliphs give him a unique perspective as an historian of his own time, although he is often valued as an observer rather than an interpreter of events for posterity. Letizia Osti here provides the first full-length English-language study devoted to al-Suli, illustrating how investigating the life, times and works of such a complex individual can serve as a fil rouge for tackling broader, contested concepts, such as biography, autobiography, court culture, and written culture. The result is an exploration of the ways in which the Abbasid court made sense of the past and, in general, of what 'historiography' means in a medieval Arabic context. Cover Halftitle page Series page Title page Copyright page Dedication Contents Acknowledgements Transliteration and Translation Map Introduction Timeline of al-Sụ̄lī’s life 1 Life and Afterlife ‘Biography’ Using biography Where: the pervasiveness of al-Sụ̄lī What’s in a profile? The power of stories Person or persona? 2 In his own Words Terminological traps Motivations, intended readers and time Al-Sụ̄lī’s voice ‘Der blosse Lebenslauf’ and beyond Rights and wrongs Person, persona and an arc 3 In his own Time The classroom The court years The legacy of notebooks Networks and texts 4 In his own Books Career path The well-organized mind The well-organized life A well-organized time 5 Insight and Hindsight The clueless observer Persuasion Access The vain memorialist Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index "Abu Bakr al-Suli was a noted polymath and table companion in the courts of three Abbasid caliphs. In addition to his work as observer of the court, he is perhaps best known for his poetry - which would have a long-lasting influence on Arabic literature - historiographical insight and skill as a chess player. Letizia Osti here provides the first full-length English-language study devoted to al-Suli. In so doing, she sheds light onto broader questions, such as: How did the Abbasid court make sense of the past? What was the importance of written culture? And book collecting? What does 'historiography' mean in a medieval Islamic context?"-- Provided by publisher