Zayni Barakat: Paper

Zayni Barakat

Mamluk Egypt existed from 1250-1517. Mamluks were an elite military core who were captured as slaves and turned into an army for the Sultan. The Mamluks, after they were captured, were converted to Islam, and trained and educated the Islamic way. After proving loyalty to the Sultan, Mamluks were able to earn freedom and rise through military ranks. Mamluks could earn their positions, and eventually be able to hold land or even attain a high social status. The Mamluks were able to keep the power hungry and ever expanding Ottomon Empire out of Egypt during their reign, a feat that was seen as impossible for other parts of the world.
The novel Zayni Barakat by Gamal al-Ghitani revolves around the Mamluk reign of Egypt in the 1516. The story revolves around the role of muhtasib, or market inspector. It is his role to perform duties in the market such as monitoring prices and such, but also is involved in moral affairs, enforcing the city of Cairo to do what is right. The purpose of this paper is to relay how corrupt the Mamluk society was, using the novel as a source.
Through the point of view of various people inhabiting Cairo, the author expresses how Zayni Barakat dealt with the situations of Mamluk Cairo when it was in its final decline. Zayni Barakat finds himself replacing Ali ibn Abi al-Jud, a muhtasib who is much less loved and

accepted by the people. It is evident that Zayni Barakat takes his role seriously, as he makes speeches to the people on his own, something his predecessor would not do. One character, Visconti Gianti, a Venetian traveler, comes to Cairo in 1516 and describes it as being the “face of a stranger”[1] and unlike itself from the other times he had visited the city. He talks of how the city of Cairo is in ruins after the Ottomon Empire had invaded and destroyed what the Mamluks had built up. Gianti introduces the character of Zayni Barakat. He explains that Zayni Barakat is loved by the people. In Gianti’s eyes, Zayni Barakat truly fulfills his role as muhtasib, doing things such as defending a slave girl who was being used as a sexual object and punishing anyone who unfairly increases the price on anything in the market.
One important factor that Zayni Barakat has to deal with involves the Head of Spies, Zakariyya ibn Radi. There are various reasons why Zakaryiyya ibn Radi is an obstacle in the wa of Zayni Barakat governing over what is right. For example, he uses a group of spies to try and control everything in the Egyptian Empire. There are even instances when Zakariyya tries to find scandals dealing with the Sultan. An example of this comes when he sends a spy out to find out if a young boy, Sha’ban is having sexual relations with the Sultan. Also, Zakariyya starts rumors regarding Zayni Barakat. He feels threatened by Zayni Barakat’s power and tries to overthrow him in these ways.
The novel also relays how Zayni Barakat finds difficulty in trying to improve an Egyptian society that is unwilling to be changed. An example of this comes with the lighting of Cairo at night. Zayni Barakat makes it a law that lamps are to be lit in the streets of Cairo during the

night. He believes that lamps will keep away evil doers and provide light for people wandering along the road at night. He also believes that the lamps will keep the Mamluks away from innocent Egyptians and help them to not be attacked by the Mamluks during the night when it is easiest to do so. The people of Cairo accepted Zayni Barakat’s idea to do so, but only because he had proved to be a positive influence on the city before. They eventually spoke out, and the lamps were taken away. This shows the relentless attitude that Egypt had to the idea of a changing society.
Another law that Zayni Barakat enacted in order to help better improve the society was that idea that all Mamluks would be required to wear veils. Toward the end of the novel, after the Ottomons take over the city of Cairo, the Mamluks are not seen wearing veils anymore. This is just another example of how the society of Cairo made it almost impossible for it to change.
Zayni Barakat is different from other rulers of his time in other ways. In addition to having a genuine deep care for those he governs over, Zayni Barakat takes part in ruling himself. He does not use spies such as everyone else does. He also makes it so that he is accessible to the people of Egypt, assuring them that if they have a problem with his ruling, they are able to come to him and express their discomfort with their current situations.
In the novel, the society of Egypt under Mamluk control is portrayed as absolutely miserable. Aside from the fact that “death, cold and heavy, hung in the air”[2] and the fact that women and children had a constant fear of being raped, society proved itself to have strict and what can be considered unfair rules and serious and dangerous repercussions for the breaking of

these rules. An example of this can be seen in an announcement revealing that Zayni Barakat had been returning to Cairo from a visit to Southern Egypt. It is announced to the people that Zayni Barakat is returning from his journey and that it is required of all people to come out of their homes and jobs and welcome him. It is also stated that anyone who does not will be “severely punished” [3] with consequences. Also throughout the novel, it is relayed to the reader that there are various consequences and punishments if one decides to speak out against the Sultan or any other government official. Punishments included being impaled, roasted slowly over a fire, having one’s hand, foot, or other body parts cut off, and various other awful ways of having pain inflicted upon oneself. These are just a few of the various hardships that people in Egypt had to deal with during the time of the government of Zayni Barakat. No matter how loved and accepted he was by the people, society was corrupted and harsh conditions prevailed that Egyptians were forced to live in and abide by.
In conclusion, Zayni Barakat displays through fiction what Mamluk Egypt was like during the declining years of the Mamluk Empire. The Ottomon Empire eventually did invade in 1517, but the Mamluks were still able to continue to engage in some sort of power. In 1798, however, Napoleon defeated the Mamluk armies completely at the Battle of the Pyramid, and the Mamluk reign came to an end.




Bibliography
1. al-Ghitani, Gamal. Zayni Barakat. Cairo. The American University in Cairo, 2004.
[1] Gamal al-Ghitani, Zayni Barakat (Cairo, The American University in Cairo Press: 2004), 1
[2] Gamal al-Ghitani, Zayni Barakat (Cairo, The American University in Cairo Press: 2004), 239
[3] Gamal al-Ghitani, Zayni Barakat (Cairo, The American University in Cairo Press: 2004), 150