Speech and Empire in Umayyad Iraq under al-Hajjaj b. Yusuf al-Thaqafi, 694–714
Description
"Godless tyrant, violent orator, and sophisticated political rhetorician: al-Ḥajjāj's name resounds through the Islamic archive, and Pamela Klasova does him justice with this sparkling study of the Umayyad dynasty and its Abbasid interpreters that showcases her facility with eloquent words, intellectual histories, and their translations."--Alexander Key, Associate Professor of Arabic and Comparative Literature, Stanford University "An important contribution to the field of early Islamic history and Arabic studies alike, The Eloquent Tyrant draws on a wide array of sources to deftly deconstruct the infamously violent al-Ḥajjāj. Enjoyable to read, it presents a compelling tale that has lasting implications for how we think about Umayyad power."--Alison M. Vacca, Gevork M. Avedissian Associate Professor of Armenian History and Civilization, Columbia University
