The (), also known as the (), was one of the most senior offices of 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 ...

in the 12th century. The post is first attested in the early years of the 12th century, during the vizierate of

al-Afdal Shahanshah Al-Afdal Shahanshah (; ; 1066 – 11 December 1121), born Abu al-Qasim Shahanshah bin Badr al-Jamali, was a vizier of the Fatimid caliphs of Egypt. According to a later biographical encyclopedia, he was surnamed al-Malik al-Afdal ("the excellen ...

, when Husam al-Mulk Aftakin is mentioned as holding it. It effectively replaced the office of 'master of the curtain' (), which was usually held by a court eunuch of

Slavic Slavic, Slav or Slavonic may refer to: Peoples * Slavic peoples, an ethno-linguistic group living in Europe and Asia ** East Slavic peoples, eastern group of Slavic peoples ** South Slavic peoples, southern group of Slavic peoples ** West Slav ...

origin. Unlike the latter office, the was always held by a military officer, and was counted among the most senior rank of commanders (the 'commanders with a collar', ). From the time of Abu'l-Muzaffar Khumurtash in , the had the appellation ('the exalted, glorified'). Most of the information about the duties of the office comes from the historian, and one-time Fatimid official, Ibn al-Tuwayr. When the vizier was not of military origin, the was responsible for hearing the petitions and grievances () in the vizier's stead, taking up a seat at the Golden Gate, the entrance to the caliphal palace, for the purpose. When the vizier was a military commander, the took up a role as the vizier's deputy and chief assistant. He also shared with the army's commander-in-chief ( or ) responsibility over military affairs. As head chamberlain, the also had a prominent role in public ceremonies and palace receptions. For ceremonial matters he had a deputy, to whom the important role of leading envoys to their assigned places. He was usually drawn from the juridical or religious officials, and was addressed by the title of . Described as a "second vizierate", the office ranked second after the vizier in the official hierarchy, and served as a springboard for the vizierate itself for three of its holders:

Abu'l-Fath Yanis Abu'-Fatḥ Nāṣir (or Amīr) al-Juyūsh Sayf al-Islām Sharaf al-Islām Yānis al-Rūmī al-Armanī al-Ḥāfiẓī, commonly simply known by his given name Yānis (i.e., John), was an Armenian military slave who served as vizier of the Fatimi ...

Ridwan ibn Walakhshi Ridwan ibn Walakhshi () was the vizier of the Fatimid Caliphate in 1137–1139, under Caliph al-Hafiz li-Din Allah. He was a Sunni military commander, who rose to high offices under caliphs al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah and al-Hafiz. He participated in ...

and

Dirgham Abu'l-Ashbāl al-Ḍirghām ibn ʿĀmir ibn Sawwār al-Lukhamī () () was an Arab military commander in the service of the Fatimid Caliphate. An excellent warrior and model cavalier, he rose to higher command and scored some successes against the ...

. The office is translated by modern scholars as "high chamberlain" or "

majordomo A majordomo () is a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another. Typically, this is the highest (''major'') person of a household (''domūs'' or ''domicile'') staff, a head servant who acts on behalf of the owner of a larg ...

References

Sources

* * * * {{Fatimid Caliphate topics Government of the Fatimid Caliphate Titles in Egypt Military history of the Fatimid Caliphate