PhD defence Alexandra Nieweg: The vagabond poetry of Ḥakīm Sanāʾī

On Friday 29 May, Alexandra Nieweg will defend her dissertation ‘Ḥakīm Sanāʾī’s Qalandars: Persian Antinomianism Between Metaphor and Reality’. In this thesis, she examines the qalandariyyāt movement, or ‘vagabond poetry’, in the work of the 12th-century Persian poet Ḥakīm Sanāʾī.

The qalandar

Sanāʾī stood at the beginning of the great Persian poetic tradition. In his qalandariyyāt poetry, he uses the literary figure of the qalandar – a kind of vagabond who intentionally breaks social and religious rules – to raise fundamental questions about what it means to be a good Muslim.

In Sanāʾī’s time, the Persian-Islamic world was characterised by intense debates about matters such as sincere piety, religious authority and moral legitimacy. His poetry can be read as a response to these discussions, Nieweg writes.

Who represents true faith?

Nieweg’s research shows how Sanāʾī creates two contrasting poetic worlds: one conformist and one non-conformist. In contrast to outward displays of piety, he emphasises the value of inner devotion and sincere love for God. The seemingly respectable believer may be spiritually lacking and hypocritical, whilst the non-conformist outsider may, in fact, embody true faith.

In her dissertation, Nieweg also discusses two controversial themes in the qalandariyyāt: wine and homoerotic love. Sanāʾī does not use these themes to celebrate violations of religious norms, but to challenge established views of what may be considered true faith.

The qalandariyyāt tradition in Persian poetry demonstrates that, contrary to what is often assumed today, Islam in principle allows for internal criticism and for diverse views on what it means to be a good believer, even if this goes against Islamic law (the sharīʿa) and social norms and values. By drawing attention to this, this study hopes to contribute to a more complete and nuanced picture of Islam.

Prior to the defence, Nieweg will give a layman’s talk starting at 10:00.