Al-Basus (Arabic: البسوس) was a female poet of pre-Islamic Arabia. She is remembered for her poetry which incited her nephew into murdering Kulaib ibn Rabiah, starting the Basus War that lasted for 40 years.
Al-Basus | |
|---|---|
البسوس | |
| Died | c. 500s CE |
| Known for | Inciting her nephew to kill Kulaib ibn Rabiah of the Taghlib tribe, starting the 40-year Basus War |
| Title | Al-Basus |
| Relatives | Jassas ibn Murrah (nephew) |
Biography
editAl-Basus was from the tribes of Banu Tamim and Banu Bakr. Her father, Munqidh, was of Bakri descent.[1] She was also the maternal aunt of Jassas ibn Murrah, who was the chief of the Banu Shayban tribe at the time in the late 5th century.[1][2]
Role in the Basus War
editAl-Basus owned a she-camel that had one day accidentally wandered into and grazed some fields that were the property of Kulaib ibn Rabiah, the chief of the Taghlib tribe.[1][2][3] Kulaib was unhappy at what had happened to his property, so he shot at the unwelcomed she-camel with arrows, killing it.[1][2][3] When Al-Basus heard of the plight of her she-camel, she composed a poem which incited her nephew Jassas ibn Murrah against Kulaib.[1][2][3] Jassas eventually murdered Kulaib as revenge for the killing of his aunt's she-camel; the murder aroused the wrath of the members of the Taghlib tribe including Kulaib's brother, Abu Layla al-Muhalhel.[1][2][3]
The Basus War which lasted for approximately 40 years was triggered by the murder of Kulaib, which in turn was triggered by Al-Basus' poetry.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f Yamout, Bashir (1934). Sha'irat al-'Arab fi al-Jahiliat wa al-Islam. Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Al Maktaba Al Ahlia.
- ^ a b c d e al-Zirikli (2002). al-A'lam (in Arabic) (7th ed.). Beirut, Lebanon: Dar El Ilm Lilmalayin.
- ^ a b c d Amini, Abdol Hosein (1995). al-Ghadīr fī al-kitāb wa al-sunna wa al-adab (Revised ed.). Qom, Iran: Markaz al-Ghadir li-l-Dirasat al-Islamiyya.
- ^ Jawad `Ali (1955). Tarikh al-`Arab qabl al-Islam (in Arabic). Majma` al-Ilmi al-Iraqi.