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Abstract

Following the Abbasid Caliphate’s rise to power in 750 AD, its leaders consolidated authority by intertwining religious legitimacy with hereditary succession, asserting descent from the Prophet Muḥammad as divine sanction. While scholarship has explored Abbasid political and religious institutions, the strategic use of poetry as a tool of state propaganda remains underexamined. This study investigates how poetry was employed to influence public opinion, legitimize caliphal rule, and reinforce claims to divine right.Focusing on the apex of Abbasid power—particularly under Caliphs Al-Nasir and Al-Mustaḍīʾ—this research highlights how poets like Sibṭ Ibn al-Taʽāwīḏī crafted state-sponsored verses that bolstered the caliphs’ political and religious stature. These poems were prominently featured in public celebrations, religious rituals, and official rhetoric, transforming cultural expression into ideological messaging. Drawing from historical records, literary texts, and modern scholarship—including Hayrettin Yücesoy’s Disenchanting the Caliphate—the study reveals how poetry served as a deliberate medium of political communication and religious legitimization. By examining the intersections of literature, religion, and governance, this work offers new insights into how the Abbasids sustained their authority and shaped the sociopolitical fabric of medieval Islamic society. It contributes to broader discussions on the role of cultural production in pre-modern statecraft, demonstrating poetry’s power not only as artistic expression but as a vital instrument of ideological control.

Keywords

Abbasid Caliphate, political legitimacy, poetic propaganda, religious authority, medieval Islamic governance

Article Type

Article

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