The Role of the Translation Movement in the Development of Scientific Life During the First Abbasid Era 132-232 AH / 747–847 CE

Abstract

This research addresses several sciences that were transmitted to the Arabs through processes of translation and knowledge transfer. It examines the factors behind the flourishing of these activities during the second century AH, which coincided with the establishment of the Abbasid state in its early period. This prosperity was reflected in the patronage of the Abbasid caliphs, especially during the reigns of Abu Ja'far al-Mansur and Harun al-Rashid. The study also highlights the support provided by certain prominent families in promoting translation and transmission, most notably the Barmakid family, which played a major role in strengthening the Abbasid state. They served as a principal financial source for many translators and scholars engaged in knowledge transfer. In addition, leading Abbasid statesmen—particularly ministers and scribes—contributed to this movement. Among the most famous was Yahya ibn Khalid al-Barmaki, the vizier of Caliph Harun al-Rashid, who strongly supported translation activities. Another key factor in the flourishing of this movement was the Arabs’ need to draw on the intellectual heritage of earlier civilizations to lay the foundations of their own. The Shu’ubiyya movement also helped stimulate translation, leading to the rendering of Persian heritage into Arabic. Furthermore, the emergence of paper manufacturing significantly expanded translation and knowledge transmission. Islam as a religion and the Arabic language also served as two major pillars supporting the growth, diversity, and dissemination of this intellectual movement.