Poetry, Propaganda, and Public Diplomacy at the Ghaznavid Court

Abstract

Maḥmūd of Ghazna (r. 388–421/998–1030) was one of the most powerful Muslim rulers of the 11th century. Over his thirty-year reign, he engaged in constant warfare, extending his influence from Ghazna in Afghanistan to Ray and Isfahan in Iran, Khwarazm in Central Asia, and Somnath and Kalinjar in India. His military campaigns were widely known across distant courts through the exchange of embassies and the circulation of fatḥnāmas—letters in Arabic and Persian recounting his victories. At the Ghaznavid court, poets were patronized to compose shiʿr-i fatḥ (victory poetry) to disseminate news of the king’s military successes. Notably, around 409/1018, the poet ʿUnṣurī (d. c. 431/1039–40), arguably the most influential poet at Maḥmūd’s court, composed one of his longest qaṣīdas, chronicling two decades of the king’s campaigns in verse. This presentation examines the role of poetry as a tool for disseminating information about military victories and shaping the public image of the ruler. It explores how poetry functioned not only as a means of propaganda, but also as a vehicle for constructing relationships between the king, his subjects, rival courts, and his nobles. Additionally, it discusses how poetry was deployed in public settings—through ceremonies, festivals, and other forms of display—as an effective medium of communication and political messaging.