maqamat are a collection of 51 (in some manuscripts and editions, 52) anecdotes that share a common rogue protagonist (Iskandari) and narrator (Isa ibn Hisham). Beyond these features, there is little to connect the stories, one to the other. The fact that the protagonist does not develop or change over time from one story to the next is a major difference between the maqamat and a modem novel. There is also no chronological ordering of the stories, as is often the case in the modern novel. In one maqamah, the protagonist may appear as an old man, while in the next he may be a young person. The ordering of the stories within the collection differs according to the manuscript (s) used by the editor. Another variable factor is the settings. Some maqamat take place in real locations, which have led modern editors to group certain tales together as the “Maqamah of Armenia,” the “Maqamah of Shiraz,” and so forth. Many of these real-life settings are places that al-Hamadhani either lived in or visited (Hamadhan, Nishapur, Jurjan). Other real-life settings are major cities of the time—Baghdad, Mosul, Kufah, and Shiraz, to name a few. Even when the settings are so specific, though, there are few, if any, “local color” descriptions of anything particular to the locations. There is, on the other hand, commonality in the style of the tales. Most individual maqamat adhere to a set framework that varies little from story to story. After the introductory isnad, which identifies the narrator, Isa ibn Hisham, as the source of the account, the maqamatis plot generally follows this pattern:
Travel and arrival of the narrator (Isa ibn Hisham) to the maqamatis setting.
Narrator’s encounter with an unnamed preacher or orator who will later be unmasked as the rogue protagonist (Iskandari).
Sermon or speech by the rogue protagonist (variant: trickery by the protagonist of unsuspecting victim [s]).
Rogue’s success at obtaining goods or money (variant: outright theft).
Rogue’s attempt to flee.
Narrator’s recognition of rogue.
Farewell and departure, as narrator and rogue protagonist go their separate ways.
(Young, p. 76)
These major features, common to nearly every maqamah, are usually presented in passages of rhymed prose. The rogue protagonist’s observations on the events, together with his observations on religion and philosophy, often appear in sections of poetry interspersed within the passages of rhymed prose.
Explanation:
maqamat are a collection of 51 (in some manuscripts and editions, 52) anecdotes that share a common rogue protagonist (Iskandari) and narrator (Isa ibn Hisham). Beyond these features, there is little to connect the stories, one to the other. The fact that the protagonist does not develop or change over time from one story to the next is a major difference between the maqamat and a modem novel. There is also no chronological ordering of the stories, as is often the case in the modern novel. In one maqamah, the protagonist may appear as an old man, while in the next he may be a young person. The ordering of the stories within the collection differs according to the manuscript (s) used by the editor. Another variable factor is the settings. Some maqamat take place in real locations, which have led modern editors to group certain tales together as the “Maqamah of Armenia,” the “Maqamah of Shiraz,” and so forth. Many of these real-life settings are places that al-Hamadhani either lived in or visited (Hamadhan, Nishapur, Jurjan). Other real-life settings are major cities of the time—Baghdad, Mosul, Kufah, and Shiraz, to name a few. Even when the settings are so specific, though, there are few, if any, “local color” descriptions of anything particular to the locations. There is, on the other hand, commonality in the style of the tales. Most individual maqamat adhere to a set framework that varies little from story to story. After the introductory isnad, which identifies the narrator, Isa ibn Hisham, as the source of the account, the maqamatis plot generally follows this pattern:
Travel and arrival of the narrator (Isa ibn Hisham) to the maqamatis setting.
Narrator’s encounter with an unnamed preacher or orator who will later be unmasked as the rogue protagonist (Iskandari).
Sermon or speech by the rogue protagonist (variant: trickery by the protagonist of unsuspecting victim [s]).
Rogue’s success at obtaining goods or money (variant: outright theft).
Rogue’s attempt to flee.
Narrator’s recognition of rogue.
Farewell and departure, as narrator and rogue protagonist go their separate ways.
(Young, p. 76)
These major features, common to nearly every maqamah, are usually presented in passages of rhymed prose. The rogue protagonist’s observations on the events, together with his observations on religion and philosophy, often appear in sections of poetry interspersed within the passages of rhymed prose.
