The viziers of the classical Islamic period before the Mamlûks were influential in administrative, political and financial matters; these were the most powerful men after the caliph or sultan. However, the authority of the viziers in the Mamlûk period was restricted to financial issues; except for Fâizî, Bahâaddin b. Hinnâ, Ibn es-Sal’ûs and some viziers from the military class, they were never superior to the military class and never interfered in any administrative mechanism that lay outside their sphere of interest.

The vizierate in the Mamlûk period underwent three different phases, gradually losing its importance in every phase. The viziers in the first era performed their duties more effectively in comparison to viziers from later eras. Although the viziers of this first period lost the privilege of controlling the diwan al-inshâ (bureau of documents) with the introduction of the kitâbat al-sirr (private secretary), they continued to be in charge of the financial administration, as the office of the nazârat al-khâss (controller of private funds) had not yet been established at that time.

All these phases are examined here with a detailed examination of the various vizierate duties.

Click to buy the print version.

Click to buy the e-book version.