Die Macht der Darstellung

Gender, sozialer Status, historiographische Re-Präsentation:Zwei Frauenbiographien aus der frühen Abbasidenzeit

By (author) Nicola Lauré al-Samarai

Book cover: Die Macht der Darstellung

(Hardback) (Published)

(November 2001)

ISBN: 9783895002410

Price: $74.00

On back order

͑Ulayya bint al-Mahdī (160−210/ 777−825), the younger sister of the Caliph Hārūn al-Rashīd, and ͑Arīb (181−277/ 797−890), a first enslaved, later manumitted woman, are exceptional figures of the musical and poetic arts performed at the court of the early Abbasids. This study draws substantially on their biographical entries in the Kitāb al-Aghānī by Abū l-Faraj al-I“fahānī, one of the most important 10th-century sources for cultural history. Informed by postcolonial feminism and critical literary theory, the author investigates why and how women entered the androcentric historiographical writings of the Islamic Middle Ages and what happened to their life stories within the framework of powerful textual presentations. Localizing the close ties between gender, social status, and historiographical re-presentation, the author is able to identify Muslim women from this early period as historical agents and, moreover, show that their artistic contributions and specific knowledge are not only an integral part of Islamic history but essential for contemporary feminist discussions.<br/>


English summary: Ulayya bint al-Mahdi (160-210/777-825), the younger sister of the Caliph Harun ar-Rashid and Arib (181-277/797-890), a first enslaved, later manumitted woman are exceptional representatives of the musical and poetic arts at the court of the early Abbasids. Their biographical entries in the Kitab al-Agani by Abu l-Farag al-Isfahani – one of the most important tenth century sources for cultural history – are a substantial foundation for the study at hand. Based upon approaches of postcolonial feminism and critical literary theory the author investigates why and how women entered the androcentric historiographical writings of the Islamic Middle Ages and what happened to their life-stories within the frame of powerful textual presentations. Laure al-Samarai localizes the close ties between gender, social status and historiographical re-presentation in order to acknowledge Muslim women of early periods as historical agents. Their hitherto almost unknown contributions and specific knowledge are not only an integral part of Islamic history but essential for contemporary feminist discussions. German description: Ulayya bint al-Mahdi (160 bis 210/777 bis 825), jungere Schwester des Kalifen Harun ar-Raschid und Arib (181 bis 277/797 bis 890), eine zunachst versklavte, spater freigelassene Frau, waren bedeutende Vertreterinnen der Musik- und Dichtkunst am Hof der fruhen Abbasiden. Ihre biographischen Erwahnungen im Kitab al-Agani von Abu l-Farag al-Isfahani – eine der wichigsten kulturhistorischen Quellen des zehnten Jahrhunderts – bilden die Grundlage fur die vorliegenden Studie. In einer auf postkolonialen feministischen und literaturkritischen Ansatzen basierenden Lekture untersucht die Autorin, warum und wie Frauen Eingang in die androzentrische Geschichtsschreibung des islamischen Mittelalters fanden und was mit ihren Lebensgeschichten in den Texten einer machtvollen Darstellung geschah. Sie lokalisiert die engen Verbindungen von Gender, sozialem Status und historiographischer Re-Prasentation, um muslimische Frauen fruher Epochen als historische Akteurinnen anzuerkennen, deren bislang kaum bekannten Beitrage und spezifisches Wissen nicht nur ein integraler Bestandteil der islamischen Geschichte, sondern grundlegend fur feministische Diskussionen der Gegenwart sind.

  • By (author) Nicola Lauré al-Samarai