The Political and Administrative Role of the Kizlar a ghas in Egypt During the first Half of the twelfth Century A.H (A.D 1687-1737), in Contemporary

The Political and Administrative Role of the Kizlar a ghas in Egypt During the first Half of the twelfth Century A.H (A.D 1687-1737), in Contemporary Arabic Manuscript Sources

Bashir Al-Abdin

zein73@hotmail.com

Department of Sociology, College of Arts, University of Bahrain

Received : 10-02-2008 , Accepted : 26-05-2009

Language: English

Abstract

The Kizlar Aghas or Agha Dar al-Sa'ada (the chief black eunuch of the Ottoman Imperial Hareem in Istanbul) played an important role in the political system of the Ottoman Empire, and attained vital administrative posts in Egypt and the Hijaz. Black eunuchs were presented to the Sultan by the Pasha and Mamluk beys of Egypt, and were selected for this purpose from slave caravans that arrived annually from Sennar and Darfur in sub-Saharan Africa, and to cement this Egyptian connection, the typical Kizlar Agha was exiled to Egypt on being removed from office. This paper attempts to study the political and administrative role of the Kizlar Aghas in Egypt from three prospectives; the role Kizlar Aghas who were already exiled in Egypt during the period 1099-1150/1687-1737, the importance of the network established by the Kizlar aghas in Istanbul and Cairo through their wakīls and mamluks who became an important part of the political set-up in Ottoman Egypt, and finally through the direct interference of Kizlar Aghas in office in the affairs of Egypt, using their power and influence within the Ottoman court. Based on unexploited chronicles and Arabic manuscript sources, this study aims to find out why the Kizlar aghas failed to establish their own households although they had sufficient wealth and power within the political system of Ottoman Egypt.

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