19-Classical Islamic Civilization - Writing for the Elite

Members of elite society in the Islamic empire were expected to follow a highly developed code of behaviors.  The current word for "Literature" - al-adab - refers to the values and behaviors of the elite.  A huge body of Literature was produced in Arabic in the Abbasid period that gives us a window into those values, and the master of Arabic prose was the great al-Jahiz.  In this episode we look at the rags-to-riches story of this great writer and the values he exalted.