In 'Narratives of Kingship in Eurasian Empires, 1300-1800' Richard van Leeuwen analyses representations and constructions of the idea of kingship in fictional texts of various genres, especially belonging to the intermediate layer between popular and official literature. The analysis shows how ideologies of power are embedded in the literary and cultural imagination of societies, their cultural values and conceptualizations of authority. By referring to examples from various empires (Chinese, Indian, Persian, Arabic, Turkish, European) the parallels between literary traditions are laid bare, revealing remarkable common concerns. The process of interaction and transmission are highlighted to illustrate how literature served as a repository for ideological and cultural values transforming power into authority in various imperial environments.
Author(s): Richard van Leeuwen
Series: Rulers & Elites, 11
Publisher: Brill
Year: 2017
Language: English
Pages: 286
City: Leiden
Contents
Acknowledgements
List of Figures
Introduction
The 'Thousand and One Nights' and Processes of Transmission
Source Material
1. Kings, Viziers, Concubines
The Cycle of the 'Seven Viziers'/'Seven Sages of Rome' and Its Cognates
Variations: The Story of 'Jaliʾad of Hind and His Vizier Shimas'
'King Wu’s Expedition against Zhou' and 'Proclaiming Harmony'
Concluding Remarks
2. Gods, Demons, and Kings
The Prince and the Demons of Evil: The Legendary Vikramaditya
The Thirty-Two Steps of the Throne
Harun al-Rashid, Vizier Ja'far, and the Jinns
Harun al-Rashid and the Discourse of Power
Fighting the Evil Spirit: 'Creation of the Gods'
Concluding Remarks
3. Divine Insights, Cosmic Harmony
The Cycle of the 'Queen of the Serpents'
King and Cosmos: 'The Sorcerer’s Revolt'
Jan Potocki’s 'Manuscrit Trouvé à Saragosse'
Concluding Remarks
4. The Knight and the King
'Tirant lo Blanc': The Ideal Knight
The Harbinger of the Faith: Amir Hamza
The Emperor and the Barbarians: The Exploits of Yue Fei
Hang Tuah, the Malay Hero
The ‘Foreign’ Sultan: Al-Zahir Baybars
The Muslims against the Byzantines: Sayyid Battal
Concluding Remarks
5. Kingship and Love
The Prince and the Mysteries of Love
The Enchantment of Love: European Fantasies of Kingship and Love
Concluding Remarks
6. Unrequested Advice
The Frustrated Official: Mustafa Ali of Gallipoli
Against the Old Order: Huang Zongxi and Hung Sheng
European and Oriental Despots: Montesquieu and Diderot
A Modern Mirror-for-Princes: Christoph Martin Wieland’s 'Der Goldene Spiegel'
The Official and His Empress: Alexander Radischev and Catherine II
Concluding Remarks
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
