The court of the vizier and literary person al-¿äib Ibn ¿Abbad (326-385/938-995) in western Iran is one of the most remarkable examples of a medieval Islamic court, with a sophisticated literary activity in Arabic (and, to a lesser extent, in Persian). Literature and the Islamic Court examines the literary activity at the court of al-¿äib and sheds light on its functional logic. It is an inquiry into the nature of a great medieval court, where various genres of poetry and prose were produced, performed, and evaluated regularly. Major aspects examined in the book are the patterns of patronage, selection, and auditioning; the cultural codes and norms governing performance, production, and criticism; the interaction between the patron and courtiers and among the courtiers themselves; competition; genres as productive molds; the hegemonic literary taste; and the courtly habitus. This book reveals the significance these courts held as institutions that were at the heart of literary production in Arabic.

Introduction 1 Al-¿äib: A Potentate and Patron 2 The Courtiers 3 The Literary Field of the Court: Representative Genres 4 The Hegemonic Taste in the Literary Field 5 Al-Taw¿idi at Al-¿äib's Court: What Went Wrong? Conclusion Appendix: Al-Rustami's Mansion Ode