The Political and Symbolic Role of Hunting Parties in the Abbasid Court in Light of Classical Arabic Poetry

Abstract

Hunting, one of the most ancient activities in human history, has evolved over time
from a struggle for survival into a multifaceted cultural phenomenon representing the
symbolism of power. This study examines the role of hunting parties in state politics
during the Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258) and the reflection of these practices in classical
Arabic poetry. The research was conducted using a comparative analysis of primary
historical sources and poetry anthologies (divans). Hunting descriptions, which appeared
as descriptive elements within the qasida during the Pre-Islamic (Jahiliyyah) period, were
enriched technically and aesthetically following the Islamic conquests through interaction
with Persian, Turkish, and Byzantine cultures. The process of institutionalization, which
began during the Umayyad period, reached its culmination under the Abbasids; hunting
assumed a multifunctional role as a state ceremony, a tool for military training, and a
display of power. During this process, hunting poems, known as tardiyyah, developed
as an independent literary genre and matured through the works of poets such as Abu
Nuwas, al-Buhturi, and al-Mutanabbi.
The study demonstrates that hunting parties were not merely an aristocratic pastime;
on the contrary, they were instruments for developing the military skills of statesmen,
establishing authority over subjects, strengthening diplomatic relations, and building
political legitimacy. The symbolic meanings attributed to hunting animals (particularly
falcons, hawks, cheetahs, and lions) by the caliphs and court dignitaries enabled the
discourse of power to transform into a visual and performative language. Tardiyyah
poems, in turn, served a documentary function as the literary reflection of this language
of power.