One Thousand and One Nights and the Caliphs of the Abbasid Empire

How does the fictional actions of Shahriyar towards his subjects in “One Thousand and One Nights” reflect Arabian culture during the Abbasid Empire? What examples in the text provide evidence that Caliphs ruled their society with their emotions controlling their actions?

## Introduction

When analyzing the importance of this text, it is essential to understand its relation to the society of Abbasid civilizations. It is important to break down the power Shahriyar maintained over his people and whether it was in any way accurate to history. After killing his wife and the slaves she copulates with, for three years he takes a woman from the town, sleeps with a virgin every night then in the morning kills them. How would this go if it occurred in real life, would he have this power? In my research I will examine the power that the Caliph held, and how Shahriyar reflects a real Caliph of the Abbasid Empire.

## How Shahriyar Displays His Power as a King

In the *One Thousand and One Nights*, King Shahriyar lets his emotions and feelings control his actions and therefore control the goings on of his kingdom. “When he entered his room, it was to discover his wife in bed with a black slave. The world turned dark for him, and he said to himself: ‘If this is what happens before I have even left the city, what will this damned woman do if I spend time away with my brother?’ So, he drew his sword and struck, killing both his wife and her lover as they lay together, before going back and ordering his escort to move off.”

In 1001 Nights, king Shahriyar takes a new wife from the town every night, deflowers her, then slays her in the morning. Many of his subjects flee the town to protect the women. Sharhriyar also tells his vizier that if he does not bring him a new woman to sleep with that, he will be the one he kills. “They left the girl straight away and went back to Shahriyar’s city, where they entered the palace and cut off the heads of the queen, the slave girls and the slaves.”

Then, when the vizier was ordered to bring the king a girl as usual, he searched but could not find a single one, and had to go home empty-handed, dejected and afraid of what the king might do to him.”

Subjects to him are replaceable; he kills subjects recklessly and his emotions appear to be in total control of his whims. This can be incredibly dangerous for the society. In many civilizations throughout history, when rulers committed similar acts, there were revolts and wars. So, for there to be no major repercussions is nothing short of a miracle.

## Power Kings Held During the Abbasid Empire

Caliphs considered themselves to be “God’s deputies” and even claimed they were “Shadows of God on Earth”. Anyone who entered their presence had to bow down and kiss the earth and a soldier stood ready to cut the head off anyone who angered the Caliph. On one account of the Caliph Harun Ar Hashid “…On his return from the pilgrimage, Harun made a dramatic move which baffled contemporaries and has baffled historians ever since. Without warning, he destroyed the power of the Barmakids. The patriarch of the family Yahya and his son Fadl were imprisoned, and their property confiscated. More shocking still, he ordered the execution of his close friend Ja'far. The “Arabic accounts dwell with gusto on the details of that terrible night: the friendliness of Harun to Ja'far when they parted that evening; the Caliph's sending of Masrur the eunuch with the instructions to bring Ja'far's head; Ja'far's disbelief when Masrur told him what his orders were: surely the Caliph was drunk and would repent in the morning? Could he not have one last interview? It was to no avail. The body of the darling of the Abbasid court was dismembered and displayed on the bridges of boats which crossed the Tigris in Baghdad, for all to see.”

The head of state and the religious head were one and the same. And the caliph was a more autocratic ruler than most Christian monarchs who had parliaments to contend with. The Abbasids once in power surrounded themselves with pomp and ceremony. They separated themselves from the public by means of officials and eunuchs.

As they thought they were more of Gods than political figures, they created the position of vizier. A vizier served between the people and the Caliphs and ran the actual government more than the caliph. Caliphs were more of figureheads with unlimited power.

The Abbasids were not interested in conquest unlike many Civilizations during this time period.

There was no protection of rights of individuals written into law to protected targeted groups or individuals.

## How This Story Would Translate to Real Life

Surprisingly, Shahriyar’s brutality towards his subjects is quite accurate to life during that time. Of course, there was no case of a Caliph taking a new wife every night then killing her in the morning, but if a Caliph had ever wanted to, it was within his power to do so.

It is doubtful that such actions were unintentional, but if they were, they would show a lack of civility and savagery.

If the Caliphs intentionally allowed their whims to control their actions, such behavior would certainly display the power they possessed. This is especially true in the case of Shahriyar, considering the fact that his whims caused the death of a woman every night and the murder of his wife and her lover.  His display of power forced his subjects to flee if that doesn’t show power, what does? That being said, Shahriyar’s intentional display of power is indeed a testament to the all-powerful kings of the Abbasid empire, whose subjects were left to suffer their every brutal desire.

## Resources

Kennedy, Hugh. “The True Caliph of The Arabian Nights.” *History Today*, vol. 54, no. 9, Sept. 2004, pp. 31–36., https://doi.org/https://www.proquest.com/docview/202816651?OpenUrlRefId=info:xri/sid:primo&accountid=10919

Oxford University Press. “Abbasid Caliphate.” *Oxford Islamic Studies Online*, Oxford University Press, http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/print/opr/t243/e1

“The Abbasid Caliphate: The Golden Age of Islam (750-1258).” *Historic Clothing: Expanded Site*, 11 Feb. 2017, https://histclo.com/chron/me/cal/cal-abb.html