A Literary History of the Arabs

Name: A Literary History of the Arabs
Author: Nicholson, Reynold Alleyne

Nicholson, Reynold Alleyne

Arabic literature -- History and criticism

The Shí‘ite Anti-Caliphs maintained themselves in Egypt until 1171 A.D.,
when the famous Saladin (Ṣaláḥu ’l-Dín b. Ayyúb) took possession
of that country and restored the Sunnite faith. He soon added Syria to
his dominions, and "the fall of Jerusalem (in 1187) roused Europe to
undertake the Third Crusade." The Ayyúbids were strictly orthodox, as
behoved the champions of Islam against Christianity. They built and
endowed many theological colleges. The Ṣúfí pantheist, Shihábu ’l-Dín
Yaḥyá al-Suhrawardí, was executed at Aleppo by order of Saladin's
son, Malik al-Ẓáhir, in 1191 A.D.


[Sidenote: The Seljúqs (1037-1300 A.D.).]

The two centuries preceding the extinction of the ‘Abbásid Caliphate by
the Mongols witnessed the rise and decline of the Seljúq Turks, who
"once more re-united Muḥammadan Asia from the western frontier of
Afghanistan to the Mediterranean under one sovereign." Seljúq b. Tuqáq
was a Turcoman chief. Entering Transoxania, he settled near Bukhárá and
went over with his whole people to Islam. His descendants, Ṭughril
Beg and Chagar Beg, invaded Khurásán, annexed the western provinces of
the Ghaznevid Empire, and finally absorbed the remaining dominions of
the Buwayhids. Baghdád was occupied by Ṭughril Beg in 1055 A.D. It
has been said that the Seljúqs contributed almost nothing to culture,
but this perhaps needs some qualification. Although Alp Arslán, who
succeeded Ṭughril, and his son Malik Sháh devoted their energies in
the first place to military affairs, the latter at least was an
accomplished and enlightened monarch. "He exerted himself to spread the
benefits of civilisation: he dug numerous canals, walled a great number
of cities, built bridges, and constructed _ribáṭs_ in the desert
places."[506] He was deeply interested in astronomy, and scientific as
well as theological studies received his patronage. Any shortcomings of
Alp Arslán and Malik Sháh in this respect were amply repaired by their
famous minister, Ḥasan b. ‘Alí, the Niẓámu ’l-Mulk or 'Constable
of the Empire,' to give him the title which he has made his own. Like so
many great Viziers, he was a Persian, and his achievements must not
detain us here, but it may be mentioned that he founded in Baghdád and
Naysábúr the two celebrated academies which were called in his honour
al-Niẓámiyya.


[Sidenote: Arabia and Spain.]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

A Literary History of the ArabsNicholson, Reynold Alleyne

History

A Literary History of the Arabs

Nicholson, Reynold Alleyne

Arabic literature -- History and criticism

The Shí‘ite Anti-Caliphs maintained themselves in Egypt until 1171 A.D.,
when the famous Saladin (Ṣaláḥu ’l-Dín b. Ayyúb) took possession
of that country and restored the Sunnite faith. He soon added Syria to
his dominions, and "the fall of Jerusalem (in 1187) roused Europe to
undertake the Third Crusade." The Ayyúbids were strictly orthodox, as
behoved the champions of Islam against Christianity. They built and
endowed many theological colleges. The Ṣúfí pantheist, Shihábu ’l-Dín
Yaḥyá al-Suhrawardí, was executed at Aleppo by order of Saladin's
son, Malik al-Ẓáhir, in 1191 A.D.


[Sidenote: The Seljúqs (1037-1300 A.D.).]

The two centuries preceding the extinction of the ‘Abbásid Caliphate by
the Mongols witnessed the rise and decline of the Seljúq Turks, who
"once more re-united Muḥammadan Asia from the western frontier of
Afghanistan to the Mediterranean under one sovereign." Seljúq b. Tuqáq
was a Turcoman chief. Entering Transoxania, he settled near Bukhárá and
went over with his whole people to Islam. His descendants, Ṭughril
Beg and Chagar Beg, invaded Khurásán, annexed the western provinces of
the Ghaznevid Empire, and finally absorbed the remaining dominions of
the Buwayhids. Baghdád was occupied by Ṭughril Beg in 1055 A.D. It
has been said that the Seljúqs contributed almost nothing to culture,
but this perhaps needs some qualification. Although Alp Arslán, who
succeeded Ṭughril, and his son Malik Sháh devoted their energies in
the first place to military affairs, the latter at least was an
accomplished and enlightened monarch. "He exerted himself to spread the
benefits of civilisation: he dug numerous canals, walled a great number
of cities, built bridges, and constructed _ribáṭs_ in the desert
places."[506] He was deeply interested in astronomy, and scientific as
well as theological studies received his patronage. Any shortcomings of
Alp Arslán and Malik Sháh in this respect were amply repaired by their
famous minister, Ḥasan b. ‘Alí, the Niẓámu ’l-Mulk or 'Constable
of the Empire,' to give him the title which he has made his own. Like so
many great Viziers, he was a Persian, and his achievements must not
detain us here, but it may be mentioned that he founded in Baghdád and
Naysábúr the two celebrated academies which were called in his honour
al-Niẓámiyya.


[Sidenote: Arabia and Spain.]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

A Literary History of the Arabs

A Literary History of the Arabs

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