HAMDANI, AL-

born 893?, San'a', Yemen died c. 945? in full Abu Muhammad Al-hasan Ibn Ahmad Al-hamdani Arab geographer, poet, grammarian, historian, and astronomer who represented some of the best aspects of Islamic culture during the last effective years of the 'Abbasid caliphate. From his literary production al-Hamdani was known as the tongue of South Arabia. Most of al-Hamdani's life was spent in Arabia itself. He was widely educated, and he traveled extensively, acquiring a broad knowledge of his country. He became involved in a number of political controversies. When he was imprisoned for one of them, his influence was sufficient to invoke a tribal rebellion in his behalf to secure his release. His encyclopaedia Al-Iklil (The Crown; Eng. trans. of vol. 8 by N.A. Faris as The Antiquities of South Arabia) and his other writings are a major source of information on Arabia, providing a valuable anthology of South Arabian poetry as well as much genealogical, topographical, and historical information. It has been said that al-Hamdani died in prison in San'a' in 945, but this is now in question.