Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ

…who adopted the Arabic name Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ. He translated from the Persian a collection of animal fables about kingship, the Panchatantra (a work of Indian origin), which he titled in Arabic Kalīlah wa Dimnah (“Kalīlah and Dimnah”); its narrative method and its particular style were among its contributions to the…

…of Sasanian Iran, notably by Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ (c. 720–757). The wisdom of both the ancient East and West was received and discussed in Baghdad’s schools. The metropolis’s outposts confronted Byzantium as well as infidel marches in Afghanistan and Central Asia. Cultural influences came from both directions. Curiosity in the pursuit…

Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ (died c. 756), of Persian origin, translated the fables of Bidpai into Arabic under the title Kalīlah wa Dimnah. These fables provided Islamic culture with a seemingly inexhaustible treasure of tales and parables, which are to be found in different guises throughout the…

Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ made an Arabic version during the 8th century that was later retranslated into Persian. He also translated the Khwatāy-nāmak (“Book of Kings”), a compilation of the stories about the kings of Iran put together in Sasanian times. This mostly legendary history of ancient…