ḥājib
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Hajib or hadjib (, ) was a court official, equivalent to a chamberlain, in the early
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
world, which evolved to fulfil various functions, often serving as chief ministers or enjoying dictatorial powers. The post appeared under the
Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a member o ...
, but gained in influence and prestige in the more settled court of the
Abbasids The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes i ...
, under whom it ranked as one of the senior offices of the state, alongside the
vizier A vizier (; ; ) is a high-ranking political advisor or Minister (government), minister in the Near East. The Abbasids, Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was at first merely a help ...
. From the early caliphates, the post spread to other areas under Muslim dominion: in
al-Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...
the was always superior to the vizier and by the 10th century had come to wield enormous power as a ''de facto''
chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
; in the eastern dynasties, the
Samanids People Samanid Samanid Samanid The Samanid Empire () was a Persianate society, Persianate Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim empire, ruled by a dynasty of Iranian peoples, Iranian ''dehqan'' origin. The empire was centred in Greater Khorasan, Khorasan an ...
,
Buyids The Buyid dynasty or Buyid Empire was a Zaydi and later Twelver Shi'a dynasty of Daylamite origin. Founded by Imad al-Dawla, they mainly ruled over central and southern Iran and Iraq from 934 to 1062. Coupled with the rise of other Iranian dyna ...
and
Ghaznavids The Ghaznavid dynasty ( ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a Persianate Muslim dynasty of Turkic peoples, Turkic ''mamluk'' origin. It ruled the Ghaznavid Empire or the Empire of Ghazni from 977 to 1186, which at its greatest extent, extended from the Oxus ...
, the title acquired a mainly military role; under the
Seljuks The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; , ''Saljuqian'',) alternatively spelled as Saljuqids or Seljuk Turks, was an Oghuz Turkic, Sunni Muslim dynasty that gradually became Persianate and contributed to Turco-Persian culture. The founder of th ...
,
Ilkhanids The Ilkhanate or Il-khanate was a Mongol khanate founded in the southwestern territories of the Mongol Empire. It was ruled by the Il-Khans or Ilkhanids (), and known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (). The Ilkhanid realm was officially known ...
and
Timurids The Timurid Empire was a late medieval, culturally Persianate, Turco-Mongol empire that dominated Greater Iran in the early 15th century, comprising modern-day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, much of Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and parts of contem ...
it reverted to its role as a court official; in
Fatimid The Fatimid Caliphate (; ), also known as the Fatimid Empire, was a caliphate extant from the tenth to the twelfth centuries CE under the rule of the Fatimid dynasty, Fatimids, an Isma'ili Shi'a dynasty. Spanning a large area of North Africa ...
Egypt, the chief , styled ('Master of the Gate') or ('chamberlain of chamberlains, head chamberlain') was also an important official; under the
Mamluks Mamluk or Mamaluk (; (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural); translated as "one who is owned", meaning "slave") were non-Arab, ethnically diverse (mostly Turkic, Caucasian, Eastern and Southeastern European) enslaved mercenaries, slave-sold ...
, they acquired important judicial duties.


Origin

The office has its origins in
pre-Islamic Arabia Pre-Islamic Arabia is the Arabian Peninsula and its northern extension in the Syrian Desert before the rise of Islam. This is consistent with how contemporaries used the term ''Arabia'' or where they said Arabs lived, which was not limited to the ...
, where doorkeeping (''ḥijāba'', "concealing") was one of the duties of domestic slaves or clients ('' mawālī'', singular ''mawlā'') of an Arab household. Modern scholars have traditionally regarded the office of ''hajib'' in a courtly setting as an innovation of the
Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a member o ...
(661–750), but in reality it is widely attested in the sources for the pre-Islamic
Ghassanid The Ghassanids, also known as the Jafnids, were an Arab tribe. Originally from South Arabia, they migrated to the Levant in the 3rd century and established what would eventually become a Christian kingdom under the aegis of the Byzantine Empi ...
and
Lakhmid The Lakhmid kingdom ( ), also referred to as al-Manādhirah () or as Banū Lakhm (), was an Arab kingdom that was founded and ruled by the Lakhmid dynasty from to 602. Spanning Eastern Arabia and Sawad, Southern Mesopotamia, it existed as a d ...
kings,
Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
,
Sajah Sajah bint Al-Harith ibn Suwayd al-Taghlibi (, fl. 630s CE) from the tribe of Banu Tamim, was an Arab Christian protected first by her tribe; then causing a split within the Arab tribes and finally defended by Banu Hanifa. Sajah was one of a ser ...
, various early Muslim provincial governors and political figures, including all early
caliphs A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of the enti ...
and anti-caliphs such as
Hasan ibn Ali Hasan ibn Ali (; 2 April 670) was an Alids, Alid political and religious leader. The eldest son of Ali and Fatima and a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Hasan briefly ruled as Rashidun caliphate, Rashidun caliph from January 661 unt ...
and
Ibn al-Zubayr Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam (; May 624October/November 692) was the leader of a caliphate based in Mecca that rivaled the Umayyads from 683 until his death. The son of al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and Asma bint Abi Bakr, and grandson of ...
. However, in Arabic historiography, their existence is often obscured or euphemistically paraphrased, since the office was ill regarded in early Muslim society, with its strong egalitarian tendencies. Indeed, the formalization of the ''hajib'' is part of the consolidation and stratification process of the Muslim society after the
early Muslim conquests The early Muslim conquests or early Islamic conquests (), also known as the Arab conquests, were initiated in the 7th century by Muhammad, the founder of Islam. He established the first Islamic state in Medina, Arabian Peninsula, Arabia that ...
, when the ruler began to be separated from the ruled, and surrounded by an increasingly elaborate ceremonial, borrowed in large part from
Sassanid Persia The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...
n practic.


Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates

In the Umayyad and early
Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 C ...
periods, up to the early 9th century, most of the occupants of the office were still ''mawālī''. During this time, the ''hajib'' still occupied a lower rung in the court hierarchy than the Arab aristocracy or the great ministers of state. His main duties were those of a master of ceremonies, organizing and supervising caliphal audiences, and bringing visitors to the caliph's presence. He was also head of the palace staff, and might sometimes be employed by the caliph as a trusted agent in eliminating certain of the caliph's subjects. With the rise of the Abbasids, the ''mawālī'' gained in prestige at court, despite their often very humble origin. With the introduction of the
vizier A vizier (; ; ) is a high-ranking political advisor or Minister (government), minister in the Near East. The Abbasids, Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was at first merely a help ...
as the head of government, a kind of
separation of powers The separation of powers principle functionally differentiates several types of state (polity), state power (usually Legislature#Legislation, law-making, adjudication, and Executive (government)#Function, execution) and requires these operat ...
emerged, where the vizier—usually drawn from the secretarial class—headed the administration, while the ''hajib'' controlled courtly affairs. The holders of the two offices often vied for control of the administration; thus the ''hajib''s al-Rabi' ibn Yunus and his son al-Fadl ibn al-Rabi' both became viziers after the dismissal of their rivals who previously held the office. This division and the rivalry between the two offices was strengthened during the "
Samarra Samarra (, ') is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Saladin Governorate, north of Baghdad. The modern city of Samarra was founded in 836 by the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tasim as a new administrative capital and mi ...
period", when the office of ''hajib'' began to be occupied by Turkish slave soldiers (''
ghilman Ghilman (singular ',Other standardized transliterations: '' / ''. . plural ')Other standardized transliterations: '' / ''. . were slave-soldiers and/or mercenaries in armies throughout the Islamic world. Islamic states from the early 9th cent ...
'', sing. ''ghulam''), whose "background, formation, and interests differed starkly from those of the bureaucratic vizier". Under Caliph
al-Mutawakkil Ja'far ibn al-Mu'tasim, Muḥammad ibn Harun al-Rashid, Hārūn al-Mutawakkil ʿalā Allāh (); March 82211 December 861, commonly known by his laqab, regnal name al-Mutawwakil ala Allah (), was the tenth Abbasid Caliphate, Abbasid caliph, rul ...
, the Turkish ''hijab'' Itakh served as chief minister, since the Caliph did not nominate a vizier. In the late 9th century, the position of the vizier was strengthened, as the powers of the office became more formalized and he emerged as the head of the civilian administration, underpinned by a highly specialized secretarial class. Another contender for authority also emerged in the commander-in-chief of the army. However, the ''hajib'' remained a powerful official, especially during palace coups, as he controlled a part of the caliphal bodyguard, notably the ''Maṣāffiyya''. Under
al-Muqtadir Abū’l-Faḍl Jaʿfar ibn Al-Mu'tadid, Aḥmad ibn Al-Muwaffaq, Ṭalḥa ibn Al-Mutawakkil, Jaʿfar ibn al-Mu'tasim, Muḥammad ibn Harun al-Rashid, Hārūn Al-Muqtadir bi'Llāh () (895 – 31 October 932 AD), better known by his regnal name a ...
(), the ''hajib'' Nasr al-Qushuri became a major power-broker, since he occupied his post continuously from 908–929, whereas the viziers changed rapidly during this period. He not only had a role in the selection of several viziers, but also was responsible for arresting them when they were dismissed. After 929, the commanders-in-chief supplanted the viziers in power and began dominating the government, becoming the main rivals of the ''hajib'', who now also assumed a more military character. Thus the ''hajib'' Yaqut had his son
Muhammad ibn Yaqut Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Yaqut () was an official who played a major role in the tumultuous political affairs of the Abbasid Caliphate in 930–935, particularly during the reign of al-Qahir (932–934) and the early months of the reign of ar-Radi, whe ...
appointed ''
sahib al-shurta ''Shurṭa'' () is the common Arabic term for police. Its literal meaning is that of a "picked" or elite force. The ''shurṭa'' or police force were established in the early days of the Caliphate, perhaps as early as the caliphate of Uthman (644 ...
'' in his rivalry with the commander-in-chief
Mu'nis al-Muzaffar Abū'l-Ḥasan Mu'nis al-Qushuri (; 845/6–933), also commonly known by the surnames al-Muẓaffar (; ) and al-Khadim (; 'the Eunuch'), was the commander-in-chief of the Abbasid army from 908 to his death in 933 CE, and virtual dictator and king ...
, before they were both dismissed at the latter's insistence. Under
al-Qahir Abū al-Manṣūr Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Ṭalḥa ibn Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad ibn Hārūn al-Qāhir bi'Llāh (), usually known simply by his regnal title al-Qahir bi'Llah (), was the nineteenth caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate from 932 ...
() the ''hajib'' Ibn Yalbaq was a soldier who tried to impose his pro-
Shi'a Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor ( caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community ( imam). However, his right is understoo ...
beliefs on the caliph. Under
ar-Radi Abu'l-Abbas Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Muqtadir (; 1 January 909 – 23 December 940), usually simply known by his regnal name al-Radi bi'llah (), was the twentieth Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate, reigning from 934 to his death. He died on 23 Decembe ...
, Muhammad ibn Yaqut made a comeback, combining the positions of ''hajib'' and commander-in-chief, but despite their dominant position in Baghdad, the lack of financial resources meant that the ''hajib'' could not compete with provincial governors who controlled the sources of revenue. Thus in 936 it was Ibn Ra'iq who was selected as ''
amir al-umara The office of (), variously rendered in English as emir of emirs, prince of princes, chief emir, and commander of commanders, was a senior military position in the 10th-century Abbasid Caliphate, whose holders in the decade after 936 came to super ...
'', and became the ''de facto'' ruler of the caliphate. Having lost the struggle for power, the chamberlains were recompensed with an increase in titulature: from 941, the head chamberlain was known as ''hajib al-hujab'' ("chamberlain of chamberlains").


Al-Andalus

In the Umayyad Emirate of Cordoba and in the succeeding
Caliphate of Cordoba A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of the enti ...
, the ''hajib'' was from the outset the most senior minister of the state, at the head of his own court (''majlis''), where he received petitioners and messengers. The ''hajib'' was the chief aide of the emir or caliph and the head of the administration, supervising the three main branches into which it was divided: the royal household, the chancery, and the financial department. Several of the holders of the office also commanded armies. Unlike the Islamic East, the title of vizier was given to lower-ranking counsellors tasked with various matters, and subordinate to the ''hajib''; the latter was almost always chosen from the viziers. A number of ordinary ''hajib''s was tasked with the doorkeeping duties and directing court ceremonies. Notable ''hajib''s were Abd al-Karim ibn Abd al-Wahid ibn Mughith, who served in the post in the successive reigns of
Hisham I Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (; 6 February 743) was the tenth Umayyad caliph, ruling from 724 until his death in 743. Early life Hisham was born in Damascus, the administrative capital of the Umayyad Caliphate, in AH 72 (691–692 CE). Hi ...
(),
al-Hakam I Abu al-As al-Hakam ibn Hisham ibn Abd al-Rahman () was Umayyad Emir of Cordoba from 796 until 822 in Al-Andalus ( Moorish Iberia). Biography Al-Hakam was the second son of his father, his older brother having died at an early age. When he came ...
(), and
Abd al-Rahman II Abd ar-Rahman II (; 792–852) was the fourth ''Umayyad'' Emir of Córdoba in al-Andalus from 822 until his death in 852. A vigorous and effective frontier warrior, he was also well known as a patron of the arts. Abd ar-Rahman was born in Toledo ...
(); the famously incorruptible Isa ibn Shuhayd, who served under Abd al-Rahman II and into the reign of Muhammad I (); and finally
Almanzor Abu ʿĀmir Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdullāh ibn Abi ʿĀmir al-Maʿafiri (), nicknamed al-Manṣūr (, "the Victorious"), which is often Latinized as Almanzor in Spanish, Almansor in Catalan language, Catalan and Almançor in Portuguese ( 938 – 8 A ...
, who as the ''hajib'' assumed quasi-regal authority and was the ''de facto'' ruler of the Caliphate of Cordoba 978 until his death in 1002. Following the collapse of the caliphate and the political fragmentation of
al-Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...
into the competing
taifa The taifas (from ''ṭā'ifa'', plural ''ṭawā'if'', meaning "party, band, faction") were the independent Muslim principalities and kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal and Spain), referred to by Muslims as al-Andalus, that em ...
kingdoms, some of the taifa rulers, who were not members of the Umayyad dynasty and could not claim the title of caliph, imitated Almanzor and used the title of ''hajib'', rather than ''
malik Malik (; ; ; variously Romanized ''Mallik'', ''Melik'', ''Malka'', ''Malek'', ''Maleek'', ''Malick'', ''Mallick'', ''Melekh'') is the Semitic term translating to "king", recorded in East Semitic and Arabic, and as mlk in Northwest Semitic d ...
'' ("king"), thus maintaining the fiction that they were simply representatives of the long-vanished caliph.


Eastern Islamic dynasties

Many of the dynasties that emerged in the eastern Islamic world after the fragmentation of the Abbasid Caliphate in the mid 9th–10th centuries modelled their administrative and courtly practices on the Abbasids. Thus the title of ''hajib'' was still used for masters of ceremonies and intermediaries between the ruler to the bureaucracy, but also as a military rank given to generals and provincial governors. Thus in the
Samanid dynasty The Samanid Empire () was a Persianate Sunni Muslim empire, ruled by a dynasty of Iranian ''dehqan'' origin. The empire was centred in Khorasan and Transoxiana, at its greatest extent encompassing northeastern Iran and Central Asia, from 819 t ...
(819–999), which also relied on a Turkic-dominated ghilman corps, the title was originally restricted to the ruler's household, but by the mid-10th century had come to acquire a military role: the "chief" or "great ''hajib''" (''al-hajib al-kabir'', ''hajib al-hudjjab'', ''hajib-i buzurg'') was the second man in the state, combining in his person the functions of head of the palace and commander-in-chief. Ordinary ''hajib''s served as generals and, occasionally, provincial governors. According to
Nizam al-Mulk Abū ʿAlī Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī Ṭūsī () (1018 – 1092), better known by his honorific title of Niẓām al-Mulk (), was a Persian Sunni scholar, jurist, political philosopher and vizier of the Seljuk Empire. Rising from a low position w ...
's account on the training of ''ghilman'', a ''ghulam'' could rise through the ranks to ''withaq-bashi'' ("tent leader"), ''khayl-bashi'' ("detachment commander"), before attaining the rank of ''hijab'', and then become ''
amir Emir (; ' (), also transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or ceremonial authority. The title has ...
'' of a province. The Samanid practice was emulated by the successor
Ghaznavid dynasty The Ghaznavid dynasty ( ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a Persianate Muslim dynasty of Turkic '' mamluk'' origin. It ruled the Ghaznavid Empire or the Empire of Ghazni from 977 to 1186, which at its greatest extent, extended from the Oxus to the Indu ...
(977–1186) as well, with the ''hajib-i buzurg'' as the commander-in-chief in the Sultan's stead, commanding several ordinary ''hajib''s as generals; all of them were distinguished by a black cloak, a specific type of belt, and a two-pointed cap. However, unlike the Samanids, the Ghaznavid ''hajib-i buzurg'' did not exercise direct control over the palace administration, which was in the hands of the ''wakil-i khass'', nor over the palace guard, which was entrusted to the ''salar-i ghulaman-i saray''. In the
Buyid The Buyid dynasty or Buyid Empire was a Zaydi and later Twelver Shi'a dynasty of Daylamite origin. Founded by Imad al-Dawla, they mainly ruled over central and southern Iran and Iraq from 934 to 1062. Coupled with the rise of other Iranian dyna ...
emirates (934–1062), which lacked the sophisticated central government of the Abbasid type, ''hajib'' was exclusively a military title. The account of Miskawayh implies that here too there was a succession of ranks, from '' naqib'' to ''
qa'id Qaid ( ', "commander"; pl. ', or '), also spelled kaid or caïd, is a word meaning "commander" or "leader." It was a title in the Norman kingdom of Sicily, applied to palatine officials and members of the ''curia'', usually to those who we ...
'' and then to ''hajib''. In the
Seljuk Empire The Seljuk Empire, or the Great Seljuk Empire, was a High Middle Ages, high medieval, culturally Turco-Persian tradition, Turco-Persian, Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim empire, established and ruled by the Qiniq (tribe), Qïnïq branch of Oghuz Turks. ...
(1037–1194), however, the mainly military role of the chief ''hajib'' receded somewhat, although, given the military character of the Seljuk court, its occupant was still a Turkish commander (''amir''), with a staff mostly drawn from ''ghilman''. The ''amir hajib'' might still participate in campaigns and command parts of an army, but he was once again mostly a court official, commanding generals being designated as ''
sipahsalar () or (; ), in Arabic rendered as () or (), was a title used in much of the Islamic world during the 10th–15th centuries, to denote the senior-most military commanders, but also as a generic general officer rank. Islamic East and Persia Th ...
'' or '' isfahsalar''. The office's role under the Seljuks is described in the writings of Nizam al-Mulk and
Muhammad bin Ali Rawandi Muhammad ibn Ali Rawandi (; died after 1207), was a Persian historian who wrote the '' Rahat al-sudur wa ayat al-surur'' during the fall of the Great Seljuk Empire and the subsequent invasion by the Kharwarzmian empire. The only source that gi ...
. Anachronistically ascribing its existence to the practices of the
Sasanian The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...
court, the latter writes that the ''hajib'' was the official responsible for administering punishment. The ''amir hajib'' was the highest-ranking court official, and apart from ceremonies and protocol, he was also responsible for military discipline. Under
Muhammad I Tapar Muhammad I Tapar (, ; 20 January 1082 – 18 April 1118), was the sultan of the Seljuk Empire from 1105 to 1118. He was a son of Malik-Shah I () and Taj al-Din Khatun Safariya. Reign Muhammad was born in 20 January 1082. He succeeded his nephew, ...
, the ''amir hajib'' is recorded as acting as the intermediary between the Seljuk sultan and his officials, including the
vizier A vizier (; ; ) is a high-ranking political advisor or Minister (government), minister in the Near East. The Abbasids, Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was at first merely a help ...
. Nizam al-Mulk also mentions the existence of a ''hajib-i dargah'', responsible for ceremonies and order at court; it is unclear whether that was a distinct office from that of ''amir hajib''. From the names of ''amir hajib''s provided by Rawandi, the office was not hereditary—with only one exception: Ali Bar, ''hajib'' of Muhammad I, was succeeded by his son Muhammad, under
Mahmud II Mahmud II (, ; 20 July 1785 – 1 July 1839) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. Often described as the "Peter the Great of Turkey", Mahmud instituted extensive administrative, military, and fiscal reforms ...
—and was often held by some of the most powerful ''amir'' of the day, while others are rather unknown. There were also a number of junior chamberlains with the simple title of ''hajib'' in the Seljuk court. In time, the most important generals and provincial governors, as well as other prominent men of the realm, also acquired ''hajib''s in their retinues. These were not always military men. Under the
Ilkhanids The Ilkhanate or Il-khanate was a Mongol khanate founded in the southwestern territories of the Mongol Empire. It was ruled by the Il-Khans or Ilkhanids (), and known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (). The Ilkhanid realm was officially known ...
(1256–1357), the ''hajib'' was again a chamberlain, although both in the royal court as well as in the lesser provincial courts these men were drawn from the military class. The ''hajib''s remained court officials under the
Timurids The Timurid Empire was a late medieval, culturally Persianate, Turco-Mongol empire that dominated Greater Iran in the early 15th century, comprising modern-day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, much of Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and parts of contem ...
, while under the
Safavids The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...
the chief chamberlain was known as '' ishik-aqasi bashi'' and held the duties of a master of ceremonies analogous to the ''hajib-i dargah''.


Egypt and the Levant

In the
Fatimid Caliphate The Fatimid Caliphate (; ), also known as the Fatimid Empire, was a caliphate extant from the tenth to the twelfth centuries CE under the rule of the Fatimids, an Isma'ili Shi'a dynasty. Spanning a large area of North Africa and West Asia, i ...
, the ''hajib''s were chamberlains, with the chief chamberlain known as the "Lord of the Gate" ('' sahib al-bab'') or, occasionally, as "Chief Chamberlain" (''hajib al-hujjab''). Furthermore, the writer Ibn al-Sayrfi mentions the existence of a ''hajib al-diwan'', tasked with preventing unauthorized visitors and preserving state secrets. The military ''hajib'' was introduced to the Levant by the Seljuks, and this model was followed by the
Zengids The Zengid or Zangid dynasty, also referred to as the Atabegate of Mosul, Aleppo and Damascus (Arabic: أتابكة الموصل وحلب ودمشق), or the Zengid State (Old Anatolian Turkish: , Modern Turkish: ; ) was initially an ''Atabegate ...
and the
Ayyubids The Ayyubid dynasty (), also known as the Ayyubid Sultanate, was the founding dynasty of the medieval Sultanate of Egypt established by Saladin in 1171, following his abolition of the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt. A Sunni Muslim of Kurdish ori ...
after them. However, the use of the title ''hajib'' for chamberlains continued in Egypt until the 13th century.


Maghreb


References


Sources

*D. Sourdel, ''Le vizirat 'Abbaside'', Damascus 1959-1960. * * * *{{EI2 , last1=Sourdel , first1=D. , authorlink1=Dominique Sourdel , last2=Bosworth , first2=C.E. , authorlink2=C. E. Bosworth , last3=Lambton , first3=A.K.S. , authorlink3=A.K.S. Lambton , title=Ḥādjib , volume=3 , pages=45–49 , url = https://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0250 Arabic words and phrases Officials in the medieval Islamic world Chamberlains