Marwan ibn Abi al-Janub

Marwan ibn Abi al-Janub (fl. 813–861) was a 9th century poet from Abbasid Baghdad. He was also governor of Bahrayn and Yamama. Marwan al-Janub was also known as Marwan al-Aṣghar .

Background and career Marwan al-Janub was from a family of prominent poets, the most famous being his grandfather Marwan ibn Abi Hafsa (723–). Both were descendants of Abu Hafsa Yazid, a tax administrator and possible court physician who married the daughter of the amir of al-Yamama after being freed from servitude by Marwan I in 656.

Al-Janub wrote panegyric poetry for Caliphs al-Ma'mun , al-Mu'tasim , al-Wathiq and al-Mutawakkil . From al-Mutawakkil, he sought political favor by composing anti-Shi'a poems. Most contemporaneous and subsequent critics considered al-Janub's poetry mediocre, however little of it has survived.

Al-Mutawakkil made al-Janub governor of Bahrayn and Yamama. But in 861, he lost his positions when al-Mutawakkil was assassinated and his eldest son al-Muntasir came to power.