The Panegyrics of Al-Akhtal to the Umayyads

al-Akhtal al-Taghlibî was one of the great panegyrists of the Umayyad period. He became famous for his satires and panegyrics in a period when poetry was an important political instrument. al-Akhtal was introduced to Yazîd b. Mu'âwiyah by Ka'b b. Ju'ayl. He became a close friend of the crown prince. Yazîd, when he succeeded to the throne, was very kind to al-Akhtal. Although he was Christian, he was favoured by leading Umayyad caliphs. All his life al-Akhtal followed the reigning Umayyad Dynasty. He lauded in his panegyrics Yazîd, ʿAbd al-Malik b. Marwân and al-Walîd b. ʿAbd al-Malik and in his satires attacked all opponents of the caliphs. al-Akhtal became the ofcial poet to the caliph 'Abd al-Malik, to whom he dedicated a number of panegyrics. But he fell into disfavour under Walîd I. The pre-Islamic bedouin tradition is always apparent in the poems of al-Akhtal, and his panegyrics show the continued vitality of this tradition. The panegyrics of al-Akhtal acquired a classical status. His poetry was accepted by critics as source of pure Arabic.