Top of page

Book/Printed Material The Perfection of Eloquence: The Letters of Shams al-Maʻali Qabus ibn Washmakir.

About this Item

Title

  • The Perfection of Eloquence: The Letters of Shams al-Maʻali Qabus ibn Washmakir.

Summary

  • Kamāl al-balāghah wa huwa rasāʼil Shams al-Maʻālī Qābūs ibn Washmakīr (The perfection of eloquence: The letters of Shams al-Maʻali Qabus ibn Washmakir) is a critical edition of a little-known collection of letters by Ibn Washmakir. The letters demonstrate the writer's badi' (virtuosity), especially in rhymed prose. They were transcribed by one 'Abd al-Rahman al-Yazdadi, who gave the compilation the title Kamal al-balaghah. The current edition is based on two manuscripts discovered in Baghdad in the early 20th century by bookseller Nu'man al-A'zimi. The work was extensively annotated and provided with an introduction by the printer Muhibb al-Din al-Khatib. Ibn Washmakir (died 1012 or 1013) is well known in medieval history as the governor of Tabaristan, the area of Persia bordering the Caspian Sea, under the Abbasid caliphs. He was known by various names, including amir (prince) and Qabus al-Ziyari. The caliph in Baghdad conferred on him the nickname Shams al-Ma'ali (Noon-bright Sun). He ruled Tabaristan until he was deposed and assassinated. Although he is remembered by historians for his cruelty, he is nevertheless credited with mastery of Arabic and Persian prose and poetry as well as of philosophy and astronomy. Nothing has survived of his work, however, beyond Kamal al-balaghah and some scattered quotations in medieval anthologies. His court was home to outstanding literary and scientific personalities. Perhaps his most famous guest was Ibn Sina, or Avicenna (died 1037), who took refuge with him from persecution at the court of Mahmud of Ghazni (died 1030). Nothing is known about the compiler, other than that he was born into a learned family. He supplied admiring commentary on the style of the letters. The text is carefully printed, vowelled and footnoted, with occasional parenthetical explanations by the editor. The book was published (i.e., financed) by Nuʻman al-Aʻzami, proprietor of the Arabic Bookshop in Baghdad and was printed in Cairo by Muhibb al-Din al-Khatib at his Salafiyah Press. The volume includes short, unedited philosophical essays by Ibn Washmakir.

Names

  • Qābūs ibn Washmakīr, died 1012 or 1013 Author.
  • Yazdādī, ʻAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʻAlī Editor.

Created / Published

  • Cairo : Salafiyah Press, 1922.

Headings

  • -  Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • -  950 to 1013
  • -  Arabic language
  • -  Correspondence
  • -  Islamic philosophy
  • -  Letters
  • -  Muslim philosophers
  • -  Philosophy, Medieval
  • -  Qābūs ibn Washmakīr, died 1012 or 1013
  • -  Rhetoric

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 112 pages ; 24 centimeters.
  • -  Reference extracted from World Digital Library: On ibn Washmakir, his life and works: Al-Kik, Fiktur. "Amir Qabus al-Ziyari bayna Kamal al-balaghah wa Nahj al-balaghah" (Prince Qabus al-Ziyari: between Kamal al-balaghah and Nahj al-balaghah), Al-'Arabi, number 651, February 2013.
  • -  Original resource at: Qatar National Library.
  • -  Content in Arabic.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021666287

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Qābūs Ibn Washmakīr, Died 1012 Or 1013 Author, and ʻAbd Al-Raḥmān Ibn ʻAlī Editor Yazdādī. The Perfection of Eloquence: The Letters of Shams al-Maʻali Qabus ibn Washmakir. Cairo: Salafiyah Press, 1922. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666287/.

APA citation style:

Qābūs Ibn Washmakīr, D. 1. O. 1. A. & Yazdādī, ʻ. A. I. ʻ. E. (1922) The Perfection of Eloquence: The Letters of Shams al-Maʻali Qabus ibn Washmakir. Cairo: Salafiyah Press. [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666287/.

MLA citation style:

Qābūs Ibn Washmakīr, Died 1012 Or 1013 Author, and ʻAbd Al-Raḥmān Ibn ʻAlī Editor Yazdādī. The Perfection of Eloquence: The Letters of Shams al-Maʻali Qabus ibn Washmakir. Cairo: Salafiyah Press, 1922. Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021666287/>.