The politics of book burning in al-Andalus

Abstract

Six public book burnings took place in al-Andalus and the Maghrib from the middle of the tenth to the end of the twelfth century under five different regimes: Umayyad, Amirid, Abbadid, Almoravid, and Almohad. Examining each book burning in its political context provides insight into how rulers and jurists negotiated power in varied ways. Locating each burning in a developing series deepens understanding of its significance as a particular expression of negotiated power in comparative terms, and demonstrates how book burning became a symbol linking successive regimes.