An Explanation of the Raison d'être of the Andalusian Muwashshah

Muwashshah is a poetic form which originated in Andalus (the present-day Spain) in the third century after Hegira, and much has been said on its first composer, Andalusian origin, and definition. While many researchers admit that they are uninformed concerning the causes or the justifying reasons for the emergence of Muwashshah, they consider in both old and new books several factors as the major grounds for its emergence, which include: Lyrics of the ancient Spain, national and folk songs, troubadour poetry, poems in rhymed couplets, cinquains, Arabic quatrains and Arūḍ meter. For some, the grounds for the emergence of Muwashshah lie in the role played by Andalusia’s geographical regions, the ruling aristocracy, and the mingling of different races following the Muslim Conquest. Others, also, add to the above list the Hebrew songs, Galician women, as well as the role of Ziryab (the great musician and composer) in this regard. The present article intends to investigate whether and to what extent the above factors can serve as the original grounds underlying the emergence of Muwashshah; it also aims to specify the contributions made by some of the above factors in this respect, and finally enumerate the major grounds accordingly.