Translation of rival cultures served both caliph and king as appropriation

Evidence

For both al-Ma’mun and Alfonso, translation of the intellectual riches of a rival civilization was a means of appropriation: al- Ma’mun and his court Arabize and Islamicize Greek and Persian culture and learning; Alfonso and his court Hispanicize and Christianize Jewish and Arabo-Muslim culture and learning. — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 995

Categorization

• XREF: Parallels the reader’s interest in translation, canon formation, and cultural appropriation across traditions.
• SEED: Article angle: translation as a form of conquest — how every great translation wave (Baghdad, Toledo, the Enlightenment) was an act of appropriation that rewrote the source culture’s meaning.