Ibn Gharsiya facts for kids

Ibn Gharsiya (died 1084) was a well-known poet and writer in the city of Denia. He lived in Al-Andalus, which was a Muslim-ruled part of Spain many centuries ago. Ibn Gharsiya was a Muwallad, meaning he was born into a Christian family but grew up as a Muslim. He is famous for his strong ideas about Shu'ubiyya. This was a movement that argued non-Arab cultures, like those from Persia and the Byzantine Empire, were just as good as, or even better than, Arab culture.

Who Was Ibn Gharsiya?

Ibn Gharsiya was born into a Christian Basque family. As a child, he was captured and raised in the Islamic faith. He became very skilled in both formal Classical Arabic and the everyday Arabic spoken in Al-Andalus. Ibn Gharsiya was proud of his Basque background. His last name, al-Bashkunsi, means "the Basque" in Arabic.

He worked for the Slavic ruler of Denia, Mujāhid al-‘Āmirī, and later for Mujahid's son, Ali ibn Mujahid. Like Ibn Gharsiya, these rulers were also Muwallad. Their kingdom, called the Taifa of Denia, had become independent from the main Caliphate of Cordoba. Ibn Gharsiya spent most of his life as a writer at their court.

What Was Shu'ubiyya?

Ibn Gharsiya was a strong supporter of the Shu'ubiyya movement in Al-Andalus. This movement asked for equal power, wealth, and status for non-Arab Muslims, like the Berbers and Muwalladun. They wanted to be seen as equal to Arabs. These groups actively promoted Arab-Islamic culture and language. They also wanted to be fully included in the Arab ethnic groups.

Ibn Gharsiya's Famous Letter

Between 1051 and 1056, Ibn Gharsiya wrote a special letter called a risala. In this letter, he argued against the idea that Arabs were superior in Al-Andalus. Instead, he praised non-Arab Muslims. Some people at the time found his letter very harsh and insulting towards Arabs. He even claimed that Arab Muslims were lower in rank and family background.

At the same time, he praised non-Arab Muslims like the Berbers, Visigoths, Slavs, and Romans. In his risala, Ibn Gharsiya said that Muwalladun culture was better than Arab culture. He joked that Arabs were only "experts in describing tall camels." He also showed how non-Arab rule in Denia was better than other kingdoms. He wanted to create a new way of ruling that mixed Arab and non-Arab traditions, especially Persian and Byzantine ones.

His letter was a way to debate with an Arab Islamic scholar named Abu Jaʻfar Ahmad ibn al-Jazzar. The risala discussed important questions for Muslims in Al-Andalus. These included the relationship between Arabs, Berbers, and the Muwalladun. The Muwalladun were descendants of native Iberians who had converted to Islam. Ibn Gharsiya believed that Islam should be valuable for all Muslims, not just Arabs. His letter showed that many Andalusian Muslims adopted the Shuʻubi idea from the East. This idea argued against Arabs being the only important group.

Ibn Gharsiya's risala was written in fancy Arabic court language. This shows he wasn't rejecting Arabic literature itself, just the idea of Arab family superiority. His letter caused at least seven other letters to be written in response, though only five of them still exist today. The fact that Ibn Gharsiya's letter went unpunished suggests that the idea of Arab superiority was losing its political power.

Göran Larsson, a professor from Sweden, noted that Ibn Gharsiya used many Persian traditions in his letter. However, he wasn't promoting a Persian ruler. He was just showing a non-Arab way of ruling. Scholar James T. Monroe added that Ibn Gharsiya wrote his letter in perfect classical Arabic. It was full of references to Arabic literature and history. It even included quotes from the Koran, poetry, and wise sayings. This shows that Ibn Gharsiya wanted non-Arab writers to be recognized for their contributions to Arabic culture.

What Is His Legacy?

Besides his famous letter, only a few lines of Ibn Gharsiya's poetry have survived. These lines were preserved by a 12th-century historian named Ibn Said al-Maghribi. They are believed to be in praise of Ibn Gharsiya's ruler, Ali ibn Mujahid.

Ibn Said praised Ibn Gharsiya, saying he was "one of the wonders of his age." He noted that even though Ibn Gharsiya was not Arab by birth, his famous letter proved his excellent command of the Arabic language. Ibn Said also mentioned that Ibn Gharsiya was captured as a child and raised by Mujahid, the king of the Balearic islands and Denia.

See also

In Spanish: Ibn Gharsiya para niños

• Arabic literature
• Bashar ibn Burd – a famous Shu'ubi poet.
• Banu Qasi – a Basque Muslim ruling family.
• Count Cassius – an ancestor of the Banu Qasi family.
• Umar ibn Hafsun – a rebel leader who fought against the Umayyad rulers.