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Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī

839 – 936

Iraqi poet

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About Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī

Lived 839 – 936 (aged 96–97). Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī was a poet, literary scholar, singer and lute, known for Al-Muqtadir.

Abu'l-Ḥasan Aḥmad ibn Jaʿfar al-Barmakī al-Nadīm (839 – June/July 936), surnamed Jaḥẓa and al-Ṭunbūrī , was a descendant of the Barmakid family, and a well-known scholar, singer, poet, and courtier of his time.

He was reportedly born in 839, the grandson of Musa ibn Yahya and great-grandson of the famous Yahya al-Barmaki, the vizier of Harun al-Rashid. The historian Charles Pellat describes him as "a man of very varied culture, but little religion, of doubtful morals and repulsive appearance"; he was nicknamed by the Abbasid prince and poet Ibn al-Mu'tazz, on account of his bulging eyeballs. He nevertheless was a prominent member of the courtly society of his time, and appears in multiple anecdotes, associating with the grandees of the Abbasid Caliphate's court. Little of his work survives, apart from a few poems; most of them are known through a list in the 10th-century compendium al-Fihrist, and include treatises on astrology, lute-playing, cooking, and a biography of Caliph al-Mu'tamid. He died at Wasit in June/July 936.

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Important facts

Born
839, Abbasid Caliphate
Birth century
Died
936, Wasit, Iraq
Known for
Al-Muqtadir
Also known as
Ahmad ibn Ja'far al-Barmaki, al-Ṭunbūrī, Abu'l-Ḥasan Aḥmad ibn Jaʿfar al-Barmakī al-Nadīm, Jaḥẓa

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī?

Iraqi poet

When was Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī born?

Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī was born in 839 in Abbasid Caliphate.

When did Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī die?

Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī died in 936 in Iraq, Wasit, Iraq.

What was Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī's occupation?

Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī was a poet, literary scholar, singer and lute.

What was Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī known for?

Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī was known for Al-Muqtadir.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī

· Wikidata: Q28716385

· DBpedia: Jahza al-Barmaki

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī. https://biography.guide/ahmad-ibn-ja-far-jahzah-al-barmaki/

MLA: "Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ahmad-ibn-ja-far-jahzah-al-barmaki/.

Chicago: "Aḥmad ibn Jaʻfar Jaḥẓah al-Barmakī." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ahmad-ibn-ja-far-jahzah-al-barmaki/.

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