Shmuel HaNagid
Shmuel HaNagid was a significant figure in Jewish history, notable for his contributions to both politics and literature in 11th-century Spain. Born in Cordóba, he was forced to flee to Malaga due to the Berber invasion at the age of twenty. In Malaga, he established a successful career in commerce and was appointed tax collector for the kingdom of Granada. His political acumen led to his rise as the grand vizier and commander in chief of the local army, enabling him to navigate the complexities of power during a tumultuous time.
HaNagid is particularly recognized for his groundbreaking poetry, which marked a revival of Hebrew secular verse after a millennium. Beginning his poetic endeavors around 1031, he drew inspiration from Arabic poetic forms, resulting in a rich body of work that encompassed themes such as philosophy, eroticism, and personal reflection. His battle poems, inspired by his military campaigns, were among the first of their kind in Hebrew since antiquity, helping to establish a new poetic movement. Through his multifaceted contributions, HaNagid played an essential role in the cultural and intellectual life of Jewish communities in medieval Spain.
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Subject Terms
Shmuel HaNagid
Poet
- Born: 993
- Birthplace: Cordóba (now in Spain)
- Died: 1055 or 1056
- Place of death: Granada (now in Spain)
Biography
Shmuel HaNagid was forced to flee his native Cordóba at the age of twenty when the Berbers invaded. Settling in Malaga, he quickly established a fine reputation in commerce and was appointed to the post of tax collector for the kingdom of Granada, which controlled the city of Malaga. Highly educated as well as politically astute, he survived a succession struggle to be appointed grand vizier and commander in chief of Malaga’s army by the new ruler. The latter post served him well. Beginning in 1038, HaNagid began to lead military campaigns that provided him with fodder for his poetry, the first battle poems written in Hebrew since antiquity. HaNagid had probably begun writing poetry about six or seven years earlier, and it was the first secular poetry written in Hebrew in over a thousand years.
HaNagid came of age during a period when Jews constituted the majority population of Granada, but when Granada was ruled by Berbers. As a consequence, those writing in Hebrew were almost obliged to adopt the norms of Arabic poetry, with its strict meter and elaborate imagery. The combination proved salutary for HaNagid, who produced quantities of verse on such diverse subjects as drinking, philosophy, eroticism, and autobiography, and in doing so founded a poetic movement.