The National Discourse in the Pre-Islamic: Speeches, A Cultural Criticism perspective, with Al-Nu‘mān’s Delegation before

Abstract

The study aims to examine the implicit cultural structures embedded in the speeches delivered by the delegations of Al-Nu‘mān ibn al-Mundhir to Khosrow Anushirwan, the Sasanian ruler, who was surrounded by delegations from various non-Arab nations. Through this gathering, he attempted to diminish the Arabs, belittle their status, and favor other nations over them by highlighting qualities he claimed the Arabs lacked. This stance stemmed from royal pride and overt tribal partisanship. Yet his hidden structure contradicts the overt discourse and undermines it. Pride and chauvinism were only part of the motives that pushed him toward marginalizing and excluding the Arabs. The study will show additional reasons rooted in the Arabs’ position toward Khosrow and the Persians.

The cultural observer attempts to trace the fissures within the discourse by examining aesthetic–critical expressions and their contradictions within the cultural subtext. A single phrase or sentence may carry an aesthetic meaning on the surface while simultaneously allowing an opposing, hidden structure to pass beneath that surface.

The selected text is narrative. The point of focus lies in the cultural product consumed by its audience, embedded within a social system that contains deep-rooted, implicit structures often in tension with established cultural norms, given that every society possesses its own cultural reservoir.

The speeches reflect a set of implicit cultural structures underlying systems of values, customs, traditions, and ethical and civilizational norms. These include the authoritarian structure, the counter-authority structure, and the structure of blindness, in accordance with the patterns embedded within the delegation speeches.