Philosophical Poetry and Courtly Appeal: Fakhr al-Din Razi's Didactic Panegyric for the Khvarazmian Prince Naser al-Din Malekshah

While Fakhr al-Din R azi's (d. 1210/606) works of philosophical theology are well known, his poetry has been largely ignored by scholars to date. This article provides a translation and analysis of Razi's previously untranslated Persian panegyric ode (qasidat al-madh) entitled "Fi al-manteq va-.l-tabi.a va-.l-elahi va-madh al-soltan (On Logic, Physics, and Metaphysics, and Praise of the Sultan)." Combining a historical and literary approach, I argue that Razi strategically employs both the didactic and the panegyric genres in his attempt to regain the favor of the Khvarazmian crown prince, Naser al-Din Malekshah (d. 1196-7/593). In addition to demonstrating Razi's belief in the soteriological value of knowledge, the poem adds further evidence for elite support of Islamic philosophy after Ebn Sina-in this case, in the eastern lands of the Islamic empire.