The Scientific and Intellectual Renaissance in the Rustamid State 160-296 AH / 777-909 AD

Abstract

This study aims to explore the features of the scientific and intellectual movement in the Rustamid State during the period 160–296 AH /777–909 CE. This era witnessed a remarkable flourishing in the fields of science, literature, and religion, largely due to a relative political stability and the prosperity of commercial and cultural activities in the state’s capital, Tāhart. It was a decisive stage in shaping the cultural and scientific identity of the Central Maghreb where schools and scholarly circles became increasingly active in teaching religious, linguistic and intellectual sciences. Several factors contributed to this development, most notably the Rustamid imams’ patronage of knowledge and scholars, the establishment of educational centers, the attraction of scholars from various regions, and the encouragement of teaching and authorship. Tāhart, in particular, emerged as one of the most prominent intellectual hubs of the Central Maghreb, attracting distinguished scholars in jurisprudence, ḥadīth, linguistics, and philosophy. It is worth noting that the beginnings of this intellectual movement were closely linked to the emergence of Ibāḍī scholars in the second/eighth century, before later opening up to other intellectual currents, such as the Muʿtazilites and the Mālikis, which enriched and diversified intellectual life during this formative period.