Lubna of Córdoba (Lubna Al-Qortobia, ) was an
Andalusian intellectual
An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for the normative problems of society. Coming from the world of culture, either as a creator or a ...
, mathematician, and poet of the second half of the 10th century known for the quality of her writing and her excellence in the sciences.
[Olivier Gaudefroy: Lubna, la copiste de Cordoue. Turquoise, 2019.] Lubna was born into slavery and raised within the
Madīnat al-Zahrā palace.
She then pursued a career within the palace as part of
Al-Hakam II
Al-Hakam II, also known as Abū al-ʿĀṣ al-Mustanṣir bi-Llāh al-Hakam b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān (; January 13, 915 – October 16, 976), was the Caliph of Córdoba. He was the second ''Umayyad'' Caliph of Córdoba in Al-Andalus, and son of Ab ...
's team of copyists.
Early life
Little to no information is known about Lubna’s upbringing, and most accounts available are historian and scholar speculations based on facts about women in her same position during the 10th century time period in Al-Andalus.
Lubna was born within the Madīnat al-Zahrā, under the rule of the caliph
Abd al-Rahman III
ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Ḥakam al-Rabdī ibn Hishām ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Dākhil () or ʿAbd al-Rahmān III (890 - 961), was the Umayyad Emir of Córdoba from 912 to 92 ...
, which began in 929. During his reign, the number of enslaved people in
Córdoba increased, Lubna being one of them from birth.
José Miguel Puerta Vílchez, of the
University of Granada
The University of Granada ( es, Universidad de Granada, UGR) is a public university located in the city of Granada, Spain, and founded in 1531 by Emperor Charles V. With more than 60,000 students, it is the fourth largest university in Spain. Apar ...
, claims that Lubna's father was caliph Abd al-Rahman III, which would make her one out of his sixteen daughters. Although records show the names of his 11 sons, the names of his daughters remain unwritten, except for daughters Hind and Wallada. The children of the caliph were typically raised by their enslaved mothers within the royal harem; one example is Al-Hakam II, Abd al-Rahman III's son and heir to the throne, who was born to
Marjan, raised within the palace harem, and went on to work alongside Lubna in the library.
Lubna is thought to have had a good education available throughout her life in order to later become an intellectual and a scholar of the caliph's court.
Additionally, there were religious motivations which made the practice of educating, freeing, and employing enslaved people more common under Muslim rule.
Career
Lubna started out as a copyist for the library of Al-Hakam II, who rose to power as caliph in 961.
According to Arab chronicles, in the time of Caliph
Al-Hakam II
Al-Hakam II, also known as Abū al-ʿĀṣ al-Mustanṣir bi-Llāh al-Hakam b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān (; January 13, 915 – October 16, 976), was the Caliph of Córdoba. He was the second ''Umayyad'' Caliph of Córdoba in Al-Andalus, and son of Ab ...
, more than 170 literate women could be found in some suburbs of the city; these women were responsible for making copies of valuable manuscripts. This gives an idea of the culture and the role of women during the reign of the Caliph.
Al-Hakam II followed in his father's footsteps by freeing Lubna and appointing her as his resident secretary and scholar.
One of many responsibilities, Lubna was also in charge of the library, of which she was an expert because of her experience transcribing the manuscripts it held.
Lubna was one out of at least 100 people that were freed from enslavement by Al-Hakam II before and after his death. In the case that she was given documents that proclaimed her freedom, she would have been part of the "freedmen" (''mawla, mawali)'' social class of Muslim society. During 10th century Al-Andalus, it was not unusual for former slaves of the palace to obtain positions of power, and they were often trusted more than local politicians.
In the library of Córdoba, Lubna was in charge of playing, writing, and translating many manuscripts. She studied these texts and wrote valuable commentaries and annotations on them. Some of these texts include those of
Archimedes
Archimedes of Syracuse (;; ) was a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer, and inventor from the ancient city of Syracuse in Sicily. Although few details of his life are known, he is regarded as one of the leading scientists ...
and
Euclid
Euclid (; grc-gre, Wikt:Εὐκλείδης, Εὐκλείδης; BC) was an ancient Greek mathematician active as a geometer and logician. Considered the "father of geometry", he is chiefly known for the ''Euclid's Elements, Elements'' trea ...
.
Along with
Hasdai ibn Shaprut
Hasdai (Abu Yusuf ben Yitzhak ben Ezra) ibn Shaprut ( he, חסדאי אבן שפרוט; ar, حسداي بن شبروط, Abu Yussuf ibn Shaprut) born about 915 at Jaén, Spain; died about 970 at Córdoba, Andalusia, was a Jewish scholar, ph ...
, she was the driving force behind the creation of the famous library of
Medina Azahara
Madinat al-Zahra or Medina Azahara ( ar, مدينة الزهراء, translit=Madīnat az-Zahrā, lit=the radiant city) was a fortified palace-city on the western outskirts of Córdoba in present-day Spain. Its remains are a major archaeological ...
, which was home to at least 400,000 books.
Dr. Joyce E. Salisbury, of the
University of Wisconsin, Green Bay
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
, describes Lubna's engagement with the community outside of the palace walls. She tutored children in math, and as she went back into the palace, they would follow her reciting multiplication tables.
She was also included in
Ibn Bashkuwāl
Ibn Bashkuwāl, he was Khalaf ibn ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Mas'ud ibn Musa ibn Bashkuwāl ibn Yûsuf al-Ansârī, Abū'l-Qāsim (), (var. Ḫalaf b.'Abd al- Malik b. Mas'ūd b. Mūsā b. Baškuwāl, Abū'l-Qāsim; September 1101 in Córdoba – 5 Jan ...
's biographical dictionary of Islamic Spain's scholars, ‘Continuation of the scholarly history of al-Andalus' (''Kitāb al-ṣila fī taʾrīkh aʾimmat al-Andalus'', Arabic: كتاب الصلة في تاريخ أئمة الأندلس وعلمائهم ومحدثيهم وفقهائهم وأدبائهم ). Here she is described as "an intelligent writer, grammarian, poetess, knowledgeable in arithmetic, comprehensive in her learning; none in the palace was as noble as she...",
as having "great knowledge of mathematics and other sciences as well",
and as being well-versed in the exact sciences, with the ability to solve "the most complex geometrical and algebraic problems known in her time."
Questions of Identity
There are many questions pertaining to Lubna's identity and her role within the Madīnat al-Zahrā's library and palace.
Although variants of her name are found throughout various historical sources, they overlap significantly in terms of time, place, and role in the palace.
Lubna has also been found under the names of Labna, Labanna/Labana,
Libana, and Labona throughout different historical accounts.
As writer
Kamila Shamsie
Kamila Shamsie FRSL (born 13 August 1973) is a Pakistani and British writer and novelist who is best known for her award-winning novel '' Home Fire'' (2017). Named on ''Granta'' magazine's list of 20 best young British writers, Shamsie has bee ...
analyzes, "What does seem clear about Lubna of Cordoba is that she was connected to both the palace and the world of books during the reign of al-Hakam II, and was significant enough to be remembered for her intellect and learning."
She also affirms that Lubna was most likely enslaved within the royal court, contrasting the theory with that of Lubna being a Fatimid invited to the court for specialized book acquisition.
As Al-Hakam II's personal secretary, the narrative of Lubna being both in charge of the workings of the library and book acquisition in Cairo, Damascus and Baghdad would not be logistically possible, given that she would have to physically leave the library for long periods of travel time.
Shamsie claims that Lubna might have been two different women, ''Lubna'' and ''Fatima'' – combined into one woman because the historian responsible could not comprehend that there were two female intellectuals at the same court. Lubna and Fatima are described as two different people in several historical accounts, such as in ''The Story of Islamic Spain'' by Syed Azizur Rahmad and ''La corteza de la letra'' by Marietta Gargatagli.
Legacy
A street in Cordoba was named after her in 2019, ''Avenida Escriba Lubna'', commemorating her work as a copyist. She is one out of thirty-three women who are identified in professor Inmaculada Serrano Hernández's project, "Mujeres en las Calles de Córdoba" ('Women in the Streets of Cordoba'). The project has been created in collaboration with Casa Árabe, Centro de Profesorado de Córdoba, Instituto Andaluz de la Mujer, and promoted by the
Ayuntamiento
''Ayuntamiento'' ()In other languages of Spain:
* ca, ajuntament ().
* gl, concello ().
* eu, udaletxea (). is the general term for the town council, or ''cabildo'', of a municipality or, sometimes, as is often the case in Spain and Latin Amer ...
of Cordoba.
The artist, Jose Luis Munoz, created his own depiction of Lubna. His series focuses on six important figures during the era of Al-Andalus. The portrait of Lubna can be found in the permanent exhibition of La Casa de Sefarad in Córdoba.
The Essay on BBC Radio 3 featured a series dedicated to Islamic Golden Age. I
one episode writer Kamila Shamsie explores the life of Lubna of Cordoba
[Shamsie, K. (2014, Feb 17). (No. 20) adio broadcast In The Essay. BBC Radio 3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03vd5xt]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lubna of Cordoba
Arabic-language women poets
Arabic-language poets
People from Córdoba, Spain
10th-century women writers
10th-century writers
Women poets from al-Andalus
Medieval women poets
Mathematicians from al-Andalus
Women from al-Andalus
People from the Caliphate of Córdoba
Arabian slaves and freedmen
10th-century slaves
Slaves from al-Andalus