Ziryab: The Problematic Issues of His Birth and Lineage, Clarifying the Ambiguity Surrounding His Relationship with Ishaq al-Mawsili and the Reasons for His Migration to al-Andalus, and His Artistic and Cultural Impact: An Analytical Study

Abstract

The study aims to investigate the life of an important figure who has been the subject of extensive and profound controversy, both during his lifetime and to the present day, owing to his significant influence across both the eastern and western regions of the Muslim world and his important role in the development of Arab music. Ziryab thus emerged as a controversial figure who attracted considerable attention from researchers and scholars alike. Researchers have addressed almost every aspect of his life, discussing and examining it in light of the sources and documents available to them. Nevertheless, previous studies have overlooked several important aspects of his life and have rarely examined them in depth and detail. Accordingly, this study seeks to examine some significant aspects of his life, particularly his birth and upbringing. It also investigates his relationship with the musician Ishaq al-Mawsili and the circumstances surrounding Ziryab’s departure westward via Syria, leaving Baghdad in search of a new place where he could establish himself and realize his artistic potential. The study analyzes these two issues in order to identify the reasons behind his migration westward, his decision not to remain in Baghdad, and his subsequent migration to al-Andalus. The study proposes that Ziryab was born during the reign of the Abbasid Caliph al-Mahdi, based on accounts in some sources that describe him as a mawla of al-Mahdi. It further argues that Ziryab did not migrate westward out of fear of persecution by Caliph Harun al-Rashid, as claimed by some Maghribi historians, nor because of the alleged story of jealousy that is absent from most of the works of eastern Muslim historians. The study suggests that Ziryab himself may have encouraged or contributed to the circulation of this story among Maghribi historians as a pretext that would facilitate his journey toward his desired destination and enable him to attain a prominent position among the Umayyad rulers of al-Andalus.