Early Modern Imperial Philologies: Ahmad al-Hajarî and the Lead Books of Granada

Abstract

The Morisco polymath Ahmad ibn Qâsim al-Hajarî (c.1569–c.1640) was a diplomat, writer and translator. His engagement with philology, i.e., the edition, annotation and translation of texts, especially the Lead Books of Granada, is an important part of his work. This article examines his philological practices and how he deployed them in order to defend Islam and Islamic powers, and to counter the hegemonic claims of the Spanish Catholic Empire.

Keywords

• Ahmad al-Hajarī
• empire
• philology
• Lead Books of Granada
• Moriscos