Reinterpreting Islamic Historiography: Harun al-Rashid and the Narrative of the Abbasid Caliphate (Cambridge Studies in Islamic Civilization)

The history of the early 'Abbasid Caliphate has long been studied as a factual or interpretive synthesis of various accounts preserved in the medieval Islamic chronicles. Tayeb El-Hibri's book breaks with the traditional approach, applying a literary-critical reading to examine the lives of the caliphs. By focusing on the reigns of Harun al-Rashid and his successors, the study demonstrates how the various historical accounts were not in fact intended as faithful portraits of the past, but as allusive devices used to shed light on controversial religious, political and social issues of the period. The analysis also reveals how the exercise of decoding Islamic historigraphy, through an investigation of the narrative strategies and thematic motifs used in the chronicles, can uncover new layers of meaning and even identify the early narrators. This is an important book which represents a landmark in the field of early Islamic historiography. Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Contents......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Abbreviations......Page 11 The line of the early Abbasid caliphs......Page 12 CHAPTER I Historical background and introduction......Page 13 Historical overview......Page 14 CHAPTER 2 Harun al-Rashid: where it all started or ended......Page 29 The elements of idealization of al-Rashid......Page 33 The ascetic caliph......Page 37 Star-crossed families: the Abbasid and the Barmakid......Page 43 The misjudged Barmakids......Page 57 Harun al-Rashid’s death scene......Page 65 CHAPTER 3 Al-Amin: the challenge of regicide in Islamic memory......Page 71 The cornerstone of the Mamunid apologetics: the anti-Amin current......Page 73 The oppositional current: the historiographic voice of sympathy for al-Amin......Page 78 The controversial letter of apology......Page 82 The place of al-Amin's regicide in the historical perception of the community......Page 84 The multi-layered narrative and the undercurrent of hagiographic sympathy for al-Amin......Page 89 Stylistic crossovers among three murders......Page 96 CHAPTER 4 Al-Mamun: the heretic caliph......Page 107 The first layer of orthodox antagonism toward the caliph: the mihna......Page 108 The second layer of orthodox hostility: the civil war......Page 111 The portrayals of al-Mamun: the caliph’s self-representation......Page 113 The conflicting portrayals of al-Mamun......Page 120 Further orthodox responses to al-Mamun: the redemption of the Abbasid caliphs......Page 133 The reality of al-Mamun’s abilities......Page 138 The personality of al-Mamun......Page 144 The final years......Page 150 CHAPTER 5 The structure of civil war narratives......Page 155 The civil war as a problem of vizirs......Page 161 The diplomatic narratives......Page 164 The military narratives......Page 169 The thematic significance of discord in the Abbasid house......Page 174 The succession transition......Page 190 The narratives of al-Mutawakkil’s reign:......Page 191 The problem of succession......Page 195 The murder of al-Mutawakkil......Page 201 Al-Muntasir’s predicament......Page 212 The adjustment of covenants......Page 214 The detrimental role of the Turkish commanders......Page 220 Conclusion......Page 228 Primary sources......Page 233 Secondary works......Page 236 Index......Page 242 The History Of The Early 'abbasid Caliphate In The Eighth And Ninth Centuries Has Long Been Studied As A Factual Or Interpretive Synthesis Of Various Accounts Preserved In The Medieval Chronicles. Tayeb El-hibri's Book Breaks With The Traditional Approach, Applying A Literary-critical Reading To Examine The Lives Of The Caliphs. By Focusing On The Reigns Of Harun Al-rashid And His Successors, Al-amin And Al-ma'mun, As Well As On The Early Samarran Period, The Study Demonstrates How The Various Historical Accounts Were Not In Fact Intended As Faithful Portraits Of The Past, But As Allusive Devices Used To Shed Light On Controversial Religious, Political, And Social Issues Of The Period, As Well As On More Abstract Themes Such As Behavior, Morality, And Human Destiny.--jacket. Harun Al-rashid: Where It All Started And Ended -- Al-amin: The Challenge Of Regicide In Islamic Memory -- Al-ma'mun: The Heretic Caliph -- The Structure Of Civil War Narratives -- Al-mutawwakkil: An Encore Of The Family Tragedy Tayeb El-hibri. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 221-229) And Index. The reigns of the caliph Harun al-Rashid and his successor al-Ma'mun have long been viewed as the golden age of the medieval Islamic caliphate. Yet how did chroniclers represent this crucial period? Tayeb El-Hibri's book applies a new literary-critical reading to the sources to demonstrate how medieval narrators devised various elusive ways of shedding light on controversial religious, political and social issues, while ostensibly presenting a history loyal to the 'Abbasid dynasty. This is an important book that represents a landmark in the field of early Islamic historiography. At its height in the ninth century AD, the 'Abbasid caliphate covered an extensive realm that stretched across the African and Asian continents, from the western reaches of Carthage on the Mediterranean to the Indus River Valley in the east, spanning prime regions over which the Greeks, Romans, Persians, and Turks had gone to war during the previous thousand years. The author applies an alternative literary-critical reading of the early Islamic sources to demonstrate how medieval narrators devised elusive ways of shedding light on the political, social and religious debates of the 'Abbasid' period. This book represents a landmark in the field of early Islamic historiography.