Year: 2024
Type: book-review
Abstract: The Translation Movement (800-1150 CE) refers to the efforts of rulers of the Abbasid dynasty to translate many texts from Persian, Hindu, and classical Greek into Arabic.That tradition is characterized by its longevity (lasting almost three centuries), its geographic range (manuscripts were translated from Sanskrit, Persian, and Greek), and its disciplinary breadth (translations covered different fields of knowledge, ranging from literature, history, and mathematics to medicine, pharmacology, and philosophy).No other culture had ever invested so much time, effort, and money in translation.Moreover, translation into Arabic at that time required a great deal of creativity and innovation.The Arabic language, rich in literature and poetry, was made even richer by the Qur'an, but Arabs remained sceptical of the cultural intrusions that resulted from literal translations.The book Translation in the Arab World: The Abbasid Golden Age by Adnan K. Abdulla describes phenomena related to translation and interpretation especially from the Global South and broadens our understanding of who is considered a translation theorist and what constitutes a translation theorist.The Translation Movement, which flourished during the Abbasid period, lasted almost three hundred years, reaching its peak during the reign of al-Ma'mun.The book consists of 9 chapters.Chapter 1 describes emergence of translation among Arabs, especially its transition from an individual effort initiated by Prince Khalid ibn Yazidibn Mu'awiyah (634-709 CE) to a state-sponsored organized effort under the Caliph Abu Ja'afar al-Mansur (714-775 CE) who turned it into a government institution, which was called bayt al-hikma, the House of Wisdom.This institution, besides conducting research primarily in engineering and astronomy, was also responsible for translating manuscripts from Greek and Persian into Arabic.In the era of al-Ma'mun, the House of Wisdom grew in the middle of this hectic activity of translation and thrived unlike any other institution in the East or West.Translators from all over the world came to Baghdad to contribute to this renaissance and numerous manuscripts were translated from Greek, Persian, and Sanskrit.By the time of al-Ma'mun, the Translation Movement had reached its zenith; the highest official in the state, the caliph, had become the supreme patron of translation, investing vast resources.Translation became an important matter of state, and prodigious sums of money allocated to it.
Authors: Mamnunah, Muhammad Rizal, Nurul Ainiy
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7083623040
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