Nahḍah Oratory: Western Rhetoric in al-Shartūnīʹs Manual on the Art of the Orator 1

The Arab Renaissance (nahah) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries represents one of the most crucial periods in the development of Arabic literature and culture. Leading nahah reformists such as Burus al-Bustānī and Muammad ‘Abduh believed that, in order to progress, Arabs needed to not only revive classical Arab culture but also assimilate achievements of western civilization. Many of their close associates developed a keen interest in European languages and literature, and translated and adapted western works. One discipline of particular interest to these intellectuals was oratory. This article examines Sa‘īd al-Shartūnīʹs manual on the art of the orator known as al-Ghun al-raīb. An analysis of this work reveals it as a pioneering attempt in the nahah to fill a lacuna in available Arabic works on oratory by assimilating western rhetoric into the Arab literary perception.