The Historian Ibn Khaldun
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The Historian Ibn Khaldun described Military Slavery as a Blessing for Muslim societies. Discuss this assessment with reference to the Mamluks.
The development of Mamluk studies originated during the mid-nineteenth century. The majority of Historians such as Sir William Muir and Stanley Lane Poole wrote about the Mamluks in a negative light. In particular those in Great Britain took a controversial and unsympathetic viewpoint. Some even went as far referring to the Mamluks as “the scum of all East” (Holt 2005, 155) whilst others wrote with a Christian viewpoint which has its own biases and agendas. . However after 1958 a considerable amount of historical works relating to Mamluks started to appear. Additionally there were studies which investigated the culture and institutions of the Mamluks. More recently An article in Newsweek on 10 Aug 1998 described Mamluks as “a fierce band of homosexuals” This statement not only contradicts the teachings of Islam, but what the Mamluks were known for. Although there may have homosexuals within the institution, it by no means defines who they were.
Ibn Khaldun (1332 – 1406) was a key eyewitness who saw the rise of the Mamluks to power and governance.He also served in the army of Mamluks at the request of Faraj son of Barquk. Ibn Khaldun was appointed the position of Qadi (Chief Judge), professor of Qamhiyyah Madrasah and administrator under the Mamluk Sultanate. On the one hand this makes his judgment of the Mamluks at the time as a blessing viable as he witnessed their successes. However on the other hand one can argue that his judgment was somewhat biased due to his involvement with the Mamluks and the position of Authority he was granted.
Islamic law (Shariah) permits slavery with the exception of Muslims and People of the Book (Ahl al-Kitaab). A unique blend of military slaves appeared during the Abbasid Caliphate whose origins lay in Caucasus and areas around the Black Sea. These slaves were known as the Mamluks. Behrens-Abouseif (2008) explains that the earliest Mamluks were known as Ghilman or Turkish slaves and were bought individually by the early Abbasid caliphs and grouped into regiments. Mamluks spoke Turkic dialects and had a command of Arabic. This made them outsiders but also led to solidarity between them. Behrens-Abouseif (2008) goes on to state that despite their humble origins and an elite approach, Mamluks were respected by their Arab subjects. They earned admiration and prestige as the protectors of Islam by resisting attacks by both the Crusaders and the Mongols. Many people, most famously Ibn Khaldun, viewed them as a blessing from God for the Muslim societies.
By the middle of the 9th century, these slaves had become the key factor for the success of the military services. Under Saladin and the Ayyubids of Egypt, the power of the Mamluks increased until they claimed the sultanate in 1250 and ruled as the Mamluk sultanate. Military slavery continued to be employed throughout the Islamic world until the 19th century. However it can be said that the success and the establishment of the Mamluks was predominately due to the employment, education, training and freeing of military slaves particularly in the middle period. In addition, the legacy and endowment they left behind for the future generations of that region. The middle period was also a period of prosperity in terms of arts and architecture and the revival of Sunni Islam. It was also an era of conflict and wars in particular the threats posed by the crusaders and Mongols
This assignment will discuss the factors that resulted in the Mamluk rise to power. This will be done by discussing Ibn Khalduns position and the opinion of other historian and writers with regards to military slaving being a blessing for Muslim societies. The legacies the Mamluks left behind will be taken into consideration alongside the factors that made the military institution (consisting predominately of slaves) successful and a blessing as described by Ibn khaldun.
According to Hourani (1991) The Mamluk regime would capture non Muslim youngsters from Caucasus and Kipchak steppes. “Military slaves and freed men… were the supporters of dynasties and could be their founders; the Mamluks… were a self perpetuating group of soldiers recruited and trained as slaves, converted to Islam and freed” (Houranni 1991, 116) However Mamluks as a military system were not solely refined or limited to the arts of combat or specialised military training. Indeed they were educated within the institution, and later on went on to become people of some authority within society. Many became judges whilst others became leaders. Some went on to act as intermediaries whilst others became the Ulema (scholars) of society.
For Muslim societies this was a crucial aspect of their establishment and development. It was a way of distributing power and establishing the foundations of a successful cohesive society by educating and training slaves in order assure their success in communal roles. In addition, religious teachings were placed at the heart of this education. Referring back to Ibn Khaldun, quoted by Northrup (2008) he states “they place them in a government barraks where they give them good and fair treatment, educate them, have them taught the Quran and kept at their religious studies until they have a fair grasp at this” (Northrup 2008, 243). This resulted in the continuation of religious education which not only strengthened the faith of the Muslim societies at the time, but was also a way of preserving the faith for future Muslims. It successfully distributed political and military power amongst the Muslims.
An important aspect of the organisation of the Mamluks as military slaves can be understood by referring to Khushdashiyyah or the building blocks of society. Society was organised around the household Ustaadh. Alongside this, the sons of Mamluks known as Awlad an nas (children of men) were prohibited from taking political positions and military service. According to Lapidus (2002) each military regiment had its own neighbourhood including mosques, markets, training and supply of arms paid by its commander. This was done to boost morale and ensure efficiency. The blessings for Muslim societies can be largely attributed to the solidarity of the slaves. For Ibn Khaldun, he saw this as an important factor for the success of Muslim societies as he states that the Mamluks “revived the dying breath and restoring the unity of the Muslims”. This was due to two main factors. The first was that the slaves were all from foreign land and therefore did not identify the different ethnic backgrounds between them. The second aspect that unified them was the shared experience of slavery and being united under the brotherhood of Islam. Additionally