Princesses Born to Concubines: A First Visit to the Women of the Abbasid Household in Late Medieval Cairo

Abstract

This article presents a study of the women of the Abbasid household in 8th-/14th- and 9th-/15th-century Cairo.1 Following a discussion of the size and growth of the Abbasid family, the article juxtaposes a late fourteenth-century marriage document, which extolls the virtues of unions made with the caliph’s family, against the historical record of marriages made by Abbasid and non-Abbasid spouses in search of social capital. The study seeks to understand the meaning attached to marriages made with Abbasid family members, and the social advantages the caliphal family hoped to gain in return. By thus reconsidering the role of Abbasid concubines and princesses, we challenge preconceived notions about the agency and mobility of Abbasid family members in late medieval Cairo and demonstrate their freedom of movement in pursuing valuable marriage connections. The article is thus a contribution to broader understandings of notable women in premodern Islamicate societies.