Poetry and Politics in the Caliphate of Cordoba 950–1150

Abstract

This chapter analyses the distinctive Jewish civilization that emerged in Spain, which was then shaped by the unique coexistence of Jews, Christians, and Muslims on European soil. The Jews of Spain remained a distinctive, subordinate, and vulnerable people under the hegemonies of Christendom and Islam, drawing freely from the cultural vitality of both civilizations while also frequently suffering as the victim of both. It also discusses how the Jews of Spain produced an extraordinary outpouring of Hebrew poetry, engaged in philosophical and scientific enquiry, and crafted a civilization that combined elements of Judaeo-Arabic and Romance cultures on the Iberian peninsula. The chapter highlights the era of the caliphate of Cordoba (929–1031), which is closely associated with the beginnings of revolutionary experimentation in new forms of Jewish self-expression and new fields of intellectual enquiry. It illustrates the daring innovations in the manipulation of the Hebrew language during the brief blossoming of the caliphate of Cordoba and the contraction of Muslim rule.