Why did poets in Islamic courts write panegyrics for rulers?

Poets in Islamic courts composed panegyrics—often in the form of the qasidah—for several interconnected political, social, and personal reasons:

• Patronage and Livelihood: Poetry rarely provided a sufficient living on its own. Poets relied on the largesse of rulers, and composing celebratory odes was a primary method for securing financial rewards and support from the ruling elite.1
• Political Legitimacy and Propaganda: Panegyrics served as a major propaganda tool. By recording the victories, policies, and virtues of a ruler, poets helped bolster the prestige of the state and the ruler’s own sense of self-esteem. This was particularly important for building the authority of kings in the Iranian style, a tradition adopted by various dynasties, including the Seljuqs.213
• Cultural Prestige: The performance of these poems at court was a public display of the ruler's power and the cultural sophistication of the Islamic world. It allowed rulers to demonstrate their status and align themselves with the glorious history of the Muslim community.21
• Artistic Competition: Poets often competed to demonstrate their mastery of complex metaphors, learned allusions, and innovative figurative language (badi), striving to win recognition and titles such as "Prince of Poets".24