Imru' al-Qais facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Imru' al-Qais
Artist impressions of Imru' al-Qais
Born	Junduh bin Hujr al-kindi 501 AD Al-Qassim, Najd
Died	544 (aged 42–43) Ankara
Occupation	Poet
Language	Classical Arabic
Period	Pre-Islamic Arabia
Relatives	Muhalhil (uncle)

Imruʾ al-Qais Junduh bin Hujr al-Kindi (Arabic: ٱمْرُؤ ٱلْقَيْس جُنْدُح ٱبْن حُجْر ٱلْكِنْدِيّ) was an important Arab king and poet in the 6th century. He was the last king of the Kindite people. Many people think he was the "father" of Arabic poetry.

His long poem, "Let us stop and weep" (Arabic: قفا نبك qifā nabki), is one of the seven Mu'allaqat. These poems are considered the very best examples of poetry from pre-Islamic Arabia. Imru' al-Qais was born in the Al Qassim region of northern Arabia around the early 500s AD. His father was Hujr bin al-Harith, a leader of the Kindite monarchy. His mother was Fatimah bint Rabi'ah al-Taghlibi.

Stories say that Imru' al-Qais was the youngest of his father's sons. He started writing poems when he was still a child. His father did not like this hobby, as he thought it was not proper for a king's son. Legend says his father even sent him away from the kingdom. However, later, when the Asad tribe rebelled and killed his father, Imru' al-Qais was the only one of his brothers who wanted to get revenge. He focused on this mission and fought the Asad tribe until he had avenged his father's death. He spent the rest of his life trying to get his father's kingdom back.

It's hard to know all the exact details of Imru' al-Qais's life. This is because, at that time, people mostly told stories by word of mouth. There was no formal writing system. But historians have looked at different stories and clues from his poems. They also used information about big events in the Persian and Byzantine empires. This helped them figure out what his life was probably like. He was also called "The Lost King" (Arabic: الملك الضليل / al-Malik aḍ-Ḍalīl). This was because he never got his father's throne back.

What Does His Name Mean?

The name Imru' al-Qais means "man of Qais." Qais was the name of an old god from before Islam. In modern Arabic, the name is usually said as Imra-el-Ḳeys or Imr-el-Ḳeys.

His Early Life

Historians are not sure exactly when Imru' al-Qais was born. One guess is around 526 AD. He was said to be the youngest son of Hujr, who was king over the Asad and Ghutfan tribes. He started writing poetry when he was young. His father did not approve of this. It was not seen as a suitable activity for a king's son. Experts say that in northern tribes, the chief and the poet were almost never the same person.

His Father's Death

Some stories say Imru' al-Qais was fighting with his father's army when his father was killed. But not all historians agree on this. The most common story comes from ibn al-Kalbi, who lived much later. He says Imru' al-Qais was still in exile when his father died. He heard the news while he was at a party with friends. When he heard, he said, "May God be kind to my father. He let me wander when I was young. Now that I am grown, he has given me the burden of his death."

It is said that Imru' al-Qais was the only one of his father's sons who took on the job of getting revenge. One story tells that the Asad tribe sent him a message. They offered him three choices:

• Kill one of their important people to make up for his father's death.
• Accept a payment of thousands of sheep and camels.
• Start a war with them, in which case they asked for one month to get ready.

Imru' al-Qais chose the third option. The Bakr and Taghlib tribes agreed to help him. They fought with him against Asad and many Asad tribesmen were killed. Bakr and Taghlib stopped helping once they felt enough Asad people had been killed for revenge.

His Travels and Death

After getting revenge on the Asad tribe and losing the help of Bakr and Taghlib, Imru' al-Qais traveled all over the Arabian peninsula and the Levant. He stayed with different tribes, trying to escape his enemies. He also looked for help to get his father's kingdom back. His last trip was to Constantinople to ask for help from Emperor Justinian I.

The Ghassanid prince Al-Harith ibn Jabalah, who was Justinian's helper in northern Arabia, supported Imru' al-Qais. Most stories say that Imru' al-Qais got some promise of help from the Byzantine emperor. He might have even gotten some soldiers. Some reports say Justinian asked the Negus of Axum to help Imru' al-Qais, but he refused. This was because of a fight between the Axumite Empire and the Kinda tribe.

After leaving Constantinople, Imru' al-Qais traveled until he became sick near the city of Ankara in modern-day Turkey. He stayed there until he died. There is a story that Emperor Justinian became angry with Imru' al-Qais later. He supposedly sent a messenger with a poisoned jacket. The story says Imru' al-Qais wore the jacket and the poison killed him.

However, most historians do not think this story is likely. They believe Imru' al-Qais died from a long-term skin disease. He even mentioned this disease in one of his poems. The best guesses for when Imru' al-Qais visited Justinian and died in Anatolia are from 561 to 565 AD. It is said that after his death, the Greeks made a statue of him on his tomb. This statue was still seen in 1262 AD. His tomb is now believed to be in Hızırlık, Ankara.

Who Influenced His Poetry?

Historians have found three older poets who Imru' al-Qais might have met and learned from:

• Zuhayr bin Janab al-Kalbi: A famous poet who was a friend of Imru' al-Qais's father.
• Abu Du'ah al-Iyadi: Some stories say that young Imru' al-Qais was his "reciter." This means he was a student who would memorize all of the poet's works.
• 'Amr bin Qami'ah: He was part of Imru' al-Qais's father's group. He later joined Imru' al-Qais and stayed with him until his death.

His Beliefs

For many centuries, most historians thought that Imru' al-Qais was a pagan. This was because he lived before Islam became widespread in Arabia. More recently, some researchers have questioned this idea. A missionary named Louis Shaykho (around 1898) believed Imru' al-Qais was a Christian. He pointed to some mentions of Christian practices and symbols in Imru' al-Qais's poems. He also noted a few times the Arabic word for God (Allah) was used.

Other historians say that mentions of Christianity can be explained. There were monasteries and missionaries along the northern edge of the Arabian peninsula. Many Arabs would have seen these things without becoming Christian themselves. Also, Arabs had been close to Jewish tribes for a long time. This was because they were similar and lived near each other. Some also point out that the word "Allah" was used by pagan Arabs before Islam. It just meant the highest God, above all the others.

Imru' al-Qais might have been a Hanif. This means he believed in one God but was not Jewish or Christian. Some historians have also suggested he might have been influenced by his grandfather's possible belief in Mazdakism. However, there is not much direct proof for this idea.

His Impact on Culture

Even today, Imru' al-Qais is the most famous of the poets from before Islam. He has inspired Arabic thinkers for a long time. Al-Tahir Ahmad Makki, an expert, said this about Imru' al-Qais:

"The Prince-Poet Imru' al-Qais, from the Kinda tribe, is the first major Arabic writer. Lines from his Mu'allaqah (Hanging Poems) are still the most famous and most quoted lines in all of Arabic literature. The Mu'allaqah is also a key part of learning Arabic language, poetry, and culture for all Arabic speakers."

Ibn Sallam al-Jumahi, another historian, said about Imru' al-Qais:

"Imru' al-Qais created many things that Arabs found beautiful. Other poets later copied these ideas. These include asking his friends to stop, crying over old campsites, describing his loved one in a refined way, and using easy-to-understand language. He was the first to compare women to gazelles and eggs. He also compared horses to birds of prey and to staffs. He 'hobbled like a fleeing beast' [a famous description of his horse]. In creating comparisons, he was better than everyone else in his time."

Some historians have highlighted the importance of the Kindite monarchy. It was the first attempt to unite the central Arabian tribes before Islam succeeded. Imru' al-Qais's sad story is seen as an example of the last Kindite princes. Others have focused on his exciting and sometimes violent life. They see it as an example of the way things were in pre-Islamic Arabia.

Iraqi writer Madhhar al-Samarra'i called Imru' al-Qais the "poet of freedom" in his 1993 book Imru' al-Qais: Poet and Lover. He wrote:

"The poet Imru' al-Qais had a kind heart and a sensitive soul. He wanted the best not only for himself but for everyone in his society. The freedom he fought for was not just about his romantic relationships. It was not limited to his demands to lift rules on relationships between men and women. It went beyond all this. He was singing for the freedom of all people. Because of this, we can call him the Poet of Freedom."

See also

In Spanish: Imru'l Qays para niños

• Arabic literature
• Imrul Kayes, Bangladeshi cricketer