From Ibn Al- Muqaffa to Antoine Galland
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Chrysi Lykaki LRM 60 Postgraduate Dissertation Postgraduate Program of Studies Language Education for Refugees and Migrants (L.R.M.) Hellenic Open University (HOU) Non- Arab influences in the Arabic fairy tale; from Ibn Al- Muqaffa to Antoine Galland Chrysi Lykaki, 502128 Supervisor: Kourgiotis Panagiotis Co-supervisor: Theodora Zampaki Patras, February 2021 Chrysi Lykaki LRM 60 Postgraduate Dissertation Η παρούσα εργασία αποτελεί πνευματική ιδιοκτησία του φοιτητή («συγγραφέας/δημιουργός») που την εκπόνησε. Στο πλαίσιο της πολιτικής ανοικτής πρόσβασης ο συγγραφέας/δημιουργός εκχωρεί στο ΕΑΠ, μη αποκλειστική άδεια χρήσης του δικαιώματος αναπαραγωγής, προσαρμογής, δημόσιου δανεισμού, παρουσίασης στο κοινό και ψηφιακής διάχυσής τους διεθνώς, σε ηλεκτρονική μορφή και σε οποιοδήποτε μέσο, για διδακτικούς και ερευνητικούς σκοπούς, άνευ ανταλλάγματος και για όλο το χρόνο διάρκειας των δικαιωμάτων πνευματικής ιδιοκτησίας. Η ανοικτή πρόσβαση στο πλήρες κείμενο για μελέτη και ανάγνωση δεν σημαίνει καθ’ οιονδήποτε τρόπο παραχώρηση δικαιωμάτων διανοητικής ιδιοκτησίας του συγγραφέα/δημιουργού ούτε επιτρέπει την αναπαραγωγή, αναδημοσίευση, αντιγραφή, αποθήκευση, πώληση, εμπορική χρήση, μετάδοση, διανομή, έκδοση, εκτέλεση, «μεταφόρτωση» (downloading), «ανάρτηση» (uploading), μετάφραση, τροποποίηση με οποιονδήποτε τρόπο, τμηματικά ή περιληπτικά της εργασίας, χωρίς τη ρητή προηγούμενη έγγραφη συναίνεση του συγγραφέα/δημιουργού. Ο συγγραφέας/δημιουργός διατηρεί το σύνολο των ηθικών και περιουσιακών του δικαιωμάτων. Chrysi Lykaki LRM 60 Postgraduate Dissertation Supervising tutors Supervisor: Co-supervisor: Kourgiotis Panagiotis Zampaki Theodora Dr. in Political Science Dr. in “Graeco-Arabic Studies” University of Thessaloniki Tutor of HOU Tutor of HOU Chrysi Lykaki LRM 60 Postgraduate Dissertation For Marina and Maria… Chrysi Lykaki LRM 60 Postgraduate Dissertation Table of contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................i Περίληψη ................................................................................................................................... iii 1st Chapter: Methodology .......................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Method ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Sample and research questions ...................................................................................... 2 2nd Chapter: The multicultural Abbasid caliphate and the Arabic Literature ............................ 3 2.1. Historical background: the foundation of the Abbasid caliphate .................................. 3 2.2. The flowering of the Arabic Literature.......................................................................... 6 2.3. Translation movement ................................................................................................... 8 2.4. A pioneer of the Arabic Prose: Ibn al-Muqaffa ............................................................. 9 2.5. The special characteristics of Persian Literature ......................................................... 10 3rd Chapter: Multiculturalism and the origins of the Arabic fairy tale .................................... 14 3.1. Panchatantra ..................................................................................................................... 14 3.2. A global literary circulation: From Panchatantra to Kalila wa-Dimna ............................. 16 3.3. Arabic literature and Panchatantra ................................................................................... 19 3.4. From India to universality; the role of the Arabic version ............................................... 22 4th Chapter: From Hazar Afsan and Alf Laylah wa-Laylah to the Arabian Nights ................. 25 4.1. A small review .................................................................................................................. 25 4.2. The frame-story ................................................................................................................ 30 4.3. Literary genres and techniques ......................................................................................... 31 4.4. Multiculturalism: The silent and powerful contributor .................................................... 36 4.5. Antoine Galland: The common link between the past and the present of the Arabic Literature ................................................................................................................................. 39 4.6. Orientalism: the real protagonist of the “One Thousand and One Nights” ...................... 42 4.7. The “Orientalist” Antoine Galland ................................................................................... 43 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................. 46 References ............................................................................................................................... 49 Chrysi Lykaki LRM 60 Postgraduate Dissertation Abstract Between 661CE and 750CE the Arab world was dominated by a powerful but oppressive regime, the Umayyad family (Conrad, 1987; Gibb & Bearman, 1954; Hourani, 1991; Μακρής, 2012). In 743CE, a civil war started with the Umayyad family as the pioneer of the battles. In the middle of 8th century, the Umayyads had totally lost their power and another family took charge of the Arabic world (Hourani, 1991; Μακρής, 2012). More specifically, the Abbasids deposed the Umayyads, and ushered in a new age that is believed to be the Golden Age of the Arabic society (8th- 12th centuries) (ibid). With regard to its multicultural traits, the Abbasid Caliphate became a world of remarkable diversity, since many Persians and Indians lived there. At the same time, a library was established in the new capital of the Caliphate, Baghdad, which was eventually become the center of the academics, literature and culture of the Arabic world (Conrad, 1987; Gibb & Bearman, 1954). Against such backdrop, we single out two people-reference points, Harun al-Rashid (766CE- 809CE) from the political world and Ibn al-Muqaffa (724CE-759CE) from the academic world (al-Din Yousefi, 2015; “See EBN AL-MOQAFFAʿ, ABŪ MOḤAMMAD ʿABD-ALLĀH RŌZBEH”, 2020; Gibb & Bearman, 1954). The dynamic diverse and academic background of the Abbasid Caliphate led to the flowering of literature, which was constituted by techniques and influences of the mixed nationalities, that existed, acted and interacted during the time of the Abbasids (ibid.). An important achievement of the global literature that arose was the “One Thousand and One Nights” (Albarak, 2017). Although the fairytale was composed during the early years of the Abbasid dynasty, the written and formal publications of the work began in in the early 18th century after the research of a French academic, Antoine Galland (ibid.). In fact his contribution to the globalization of the Arabic literature was that active, that he decided to add two stories to the original work. In particular, the story of Aladdin and Ali-Baba is not originated in the Arabic literature (ibid.). Of course, these stories were products of Orientalism, a term that describes the way that the Western countries receives or even imagines the Eastern countries, and especially the Islamic world (Said, 1978). i Chrysi Lykaki LRM 60 Postgraduate Dissertation Another key point, that proves the evolution of the Arabic literature during the Abbasids’ dynasty and the impact of multiculturalism, is the story of Kalila and Demna (Kalila wa-Dimna) (Allen, 2003; al-Din Yousefi, 2015; “See EBN AL- MOQAFFAʿ, ABŪ MOḤAMMAD ʿABD-ALLĀH RŌZBEH”, 2020; Gibb & Bearman, 1954). To explain, “Kalila and Demna” is a collection of stories with Indian origins and shares the same name with the main characters of the book, two jackals (“See EBN AL-MOQAFFAʿ, ABŪ MOḤAMMAD ʿABD-ALLĀH RŌZBEH”, 2020; Gibb & Bearman, 1954). Despite the fact that the work is a result of Indian influences, today the book is considered as another masterpiece of the Arabic literature, courtesy of the scholar Ibn al-Muqaffa (“See EBN AL-MOQAFFAʿ, ABŪ MOḤAMMAD ʿABD-ALLĀH RŌZBEH”, 2020). Specifically, he was responsible for the translation of many non-Arabic stories, but he had a particular characteristic that made his translation unique and outstanding (al-Din Yousefi, 2015). To illustrate, Ibn al-Muqaffa was adding his own writing style to the work and he was actually evolving the initial text to a work of literature (Allen, 2003) Summarizing, it becomes evident that the cultural debates within the Arab world during the Abbasid Dynasty were important factors that determined the evolution of the society and contributed to the global reputation of the Arabic Literature. Key-words: Abassid Caliphate, Indian Literature, Arabic Literature, Kalila & Dimna, One Thousand and One Nights, Ibn al-Muqqafa, Antoine Galland, Orientalism. ii Chrysi Lykaki LRM 60 Postgraduate Dissertation Περίληψη Από το 661 μ. Χ. μέχρι το 750 μ. Χ. ο Αραβικός κόσμος εξουσιαζόταν από ένα καταπιεστικό καθεστώς, τους Ομεϋάδες (Conrad, 1987; Hourani, 1991; Μακρής, 2012).. Το 743 μ. Χ., ένας εμφύλιος πόλεμος ξεκίνησε με πρωτεργάτες την οικογένεια των Ομεϋάδων. Στα μέσα του 8ου αιώνα, έχασαν ολοκληρωτικά τη δύναμή τους και μία άλλη οικογένεια ανέλαβε τη διακυβέρνηση του