The Eloquent Tyrant

In The Eloquent Tyrant, Pamela Klasova presents a cultural history of speech in the early Islamic empire, examining the relationship between the spoken word and power through the oratorical practice of the powerful governor of Iraq, al-Ḥajjāj b. Yūsuf al-Thaqafī (d. 714). The governor is remembered both as one of the most eloquent rulers of his age and as one of the worst tyrants in Islamic history. Klasova contends that oratory was inextricably connected with imperial rule and that the governor—despite the deeply ingrained image of him as a bloodthirsty tyrant—relied not only on military force but also on a robust machinery of cultural power. Drawing on a multiplicity of voices from al-Ḥajjāj’s milieu, including rebellious poets, non-elite orators, and women, Klasova portrays the Umayyad world in full color. She challenges al-Ḥajjāj’s one-dimensional image in both medieval and modern sources and makes a compelling case for reintegrating Arabic literature into the study of Islamic history.