IBN QUTAIBA, or KOTAIBA [

See also:

• ABU

Abu Mahommed ibn Muslim ibn Qutaiba] (828–889)  , Arabian writer, was born at Bagdad or Kufa, and was of Iranian descent, his father belonging to Merv . Having studied tradition and philology he became cadi in Dinawar and afterwards teacher in Bagdad, where he died . He was the first representative of the eclectic school of Bagdad philologists that succeeded the schools of Kufa and Basra (see ARABIA: Literature, section " Grammar ") . Although engaged also in theological polemic (cf . I . Goldziher, Mu/zammedanische Studien, ii . 136, Haile, 189o), his chief works were directed to the training of the ideal secretary . Of these five may be said to form a series . The Adab ul-Kdtib (" Training of the Secretary ") contains instruction in writing and is a compendium of Arabic style . It has been edited by Max Griinert (Leiden, 1900) . The Kitab ush-Sharab is still in manuscript . The Kitab ul-Ma'arif has been edited by F .

Wiistenfeld as the Handbuch der Geschichte 1 (

Gottingen, 185o); the Kitab ush-Shi'r wash-Shu'arai (" Book of Poetry and Poets ") edited by M . J. de Goeje (Leiden, 1904).2 The fifth and most important is the 'Uyun ul-Akhbar, which deals in ten books with lordship, war, nobility, character, science and eloquence, asceticism, friendship, requests, foods and women, with many illustrations from history, poetry and proverb (ed . C . Brockelmann, Leiden, 'goo sqq.) . For other works (which were much quoted by later Arabian writers) see C . Brockelmann, Gesch. der arabischen Literatur, vol. i . (Weimar, 1898), pp . 120-122 . (G . W .