Rhythm and Rhythmic System of the Late Systematist Period Described in Persian Music-Theoretical Sources

Abstract This article explores rhythm and the īqāʿ rhythmic system as outlined in Persian music-theoretical treatises written during the fifteenth century, a period referred to in this study as the late Systematist period. The study seeks to enhance our understanding of the evolution of this rhythmic system over time, thereby contributing to the broader study of the entire Systematist period (circa 1235–1500). To achieve this aim, six Persian treatises from the fifteenth century have been meticulously selected and analysed. These include treatises by ʿAbd al-Qādir b. Ghaybī al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Marāghī, an anonymous author, ʿAlīshāh ibn Ḥājī Būka Awbahī, and ʿAlī b. Muḥammad Miʿmār. Comparisons and analyses serve as essential methodological tools for achieving the study’s purposes.