الأندلس، المضمر، الهوية السياسية، ابن جبير.

Abstract

This study aims to examine the contribution of Andalusian writings—specifically travel literature—in shaping a political identity for the Eastern Islamic world, through an analytical reading of Ibn Jubayr’s travelogue as a prominent example of such texts.

The significance of this research lies in its illumination of the cultural and political interactions between two major poles of the Arab and Islamic world: al-Andalus and the Mashriq. These interactions reveal the role of Andalusian travelers in documenting pivotal transformations within the Islamic world during the 6th century AH, particularly in the realms of politics and society, with a focus on the symbolic structure of discourse.

The central research question revolves around how Ibn Jubayr perceived and portrayed the political identity of the East during his travels, the extent to which his Andalusian background influenced his vision of the political and social spheres, and how latent violence is manifested within his narrative.

The study adopts a pragmatic-hermeneutic approach that explores the implicit dimensions of the text to uncover indirect meanings and actions in the travel discourse. It also analyzes symbolic violence through the lens of Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts, aiming to reveal representations of submission and domination.       

     The research draws on contextual analysis to link discourse with Eastern transformations and employs literary comparison to identify both the specific and the universal in the studied narrative.

The findings indicate that Ibn Jubayr’s journey expressed a sharp political awareness of the Eastern situation, particularly amid the conflicts among Islamic powers such as the Fatimids, Ayyubids, and Abbasids. The study uncovers a pragmatic subtext that conveys critical stances toward certain forms of governance, while also offering justificatory views grounded in religious contexts. Violence in the discourse is evident in the depiction of certain social groups or rituals, implicitly reflecting ideological positions. Ultimately, Ibn Jubayr articulated a distinctly Andalusian identity—yet one that remained open to the unity of the ummah, balancing between local affiliation and broader belonging.