Arabic Literature in the Post-Classical Period

This volume explores the Arabic literary heritage from the twelfth to the nineteenth century.

Roger Allen (Edited by), D. S. Richards (Edited by)

9780521771603, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 13 April 2006

492 pages
23.6 x 16.3 x 3.3 cm, 0.832 kg

'… an intellectual and academic enterprise …' Amidu Olalekan Sanni, Lagos State University

The final volume of The Cambridge History of Arabic Literature explores the Arabic literary heritage of the little-known period from the twelfth to the beginning of the nineteenth century. Even though it was during this time that the famous Thousand and One Nights was composed, very little has been written on the literature of the period generally. In this volume Roger Allen and Donald Richards bring together some of the most distinguished scholars in the field to rectify the situation. The volume is divided into parts with the traditions of poetry and prose covered separately within both their 'elite' and 'popular' contexts. The last two sections are devoted to drama and the indigenous tradition of literary criticism. As the only work of its kind in English covering the post-classical period, this book promises to be a unique resource for students and scholars of Arabic literature for many years to come.

The Post-Classical Period: Parameters and Preliminaries Roger Allen
Part I. Elite Poetry: 1. Arabic poetry in the post-classical age Salma Khadra Jayyusi
2. Poetic creativity in the sixteenth-eighteenth centuries Lutfi Al-Yousfi
3. Arabic religious poetry, 1200-1800 Th. Emil Homerin
4. The role of the pre-modern: the generic characteristics of the band Abdallah Ibrahim
Part II. Elite Prose: 5. Pre-modern belletrist prose Muhsin Al-Musawi
6. The essay and debate (al-ris*la, al-mun*zara) Jaakko Hameen-Anttilla
7. The maq*ma Devin Stewart
8. Mamluk history and historians Robert Irwin
9. Historiography in Arabic during the Ottoman period Michael Winter
Part III. Popular Poetry: 10. Popular poetry in the post-classical period, 1150–1850 A.D. Margaret Larkin
Part IV. Popular Prose: 11. Popular prose in the post-classical period Dwight Reynolds
12. A Thousand and One Nights: a history of the text and its reception Dwight Reynolds
13. s*rat 'antar ibn shadd*d Remke Kruk
14. S*rat Ban* Hil*l Dwight Reynolds
15. Other s*ras and popular narratives Peter Heath
16. Popular religious narratives Kamal Abdel-Malek
Part V. Drama: 17. Drama in the post-classical period: a survey Rosella Dorigo
18. pre-modern drama Philip Sadgrove
Part VI. Criticism: 19. Criticism in the post-classical period: a survey William Smyth.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: classical, early & medieval [DSBB]