During this past few days, history in the middle east class has been very demanding, the readings, source analysis and all of the assignments are getting more complex that in previous classes. In today's class we learned about the Muhtasib. It is an older version of what we now call inspectors. It might be health, food, social or merchant inspector. Muhtasib was in charge of many different task that required a lot of effort and time to do. Muhtasib was important during the Mamluk empire to preserve the order and to control the trade in between merchants. They were very detail oriented in engaging their job.
If they suspect something was going on in a residence, they can suddenly beak in and check that everything is OK and in order. they had the authority of execute anyone that had been braking the law or just tried to take advantage of someone. Overpricing and mishandling anything from food to behavior was severely punishable under Islamic law.
It is a remarkable difference that this type of people had done in the course of history. Also note how punishment was enforced, most of the people accused of any wrong doing was hanged or not in most cases a physical punishment was enough.
The Muhtasib made a great difference in the course of history and how it is perceived from different points of view around the world.
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I thought the lecture on the Muhtasib was interesting mainly because I had some previous knowledge on this position after reading Zayni Barakat. I think it would have been helpful to have this class lecture before or even while we were reading the book. I think your response is good but i would have mentioned Zayni Barakat since the whole book was about him and his work as the Muhtasib and his radical nature and the impact that had on society during the last years of the Mamluk dysnasty in Eqypy before Ottoman rule.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to learn about the muhtasib position in Egypt, mainly because it was extremely progressive. When compared to American history, the Food and Drug Administration (the agency that is responsible for monitoring the safety of food) was not established until 1862--that is hundreds of years after Mamluk Rule in Egypt. It does seem a little strange (from my 21st century, secular viewpoint) that someone responsible for overseeing the quality and fairness in the marketplace would also be charged with safeguarding moral behavior in all spheres...seems like an awfully weighty job.
ReplyDeleteAnneliese's reference to the Food and Drug Administration reminded me of all the books written against the meat industry as a result of unsanitary conditions and other health violations. So I guess you can say that the importance of the Muhtasib is noted throughout history.
ReplyDeleteIt seemed like a possible abuse of power to me that the Muhtasib could walk into a home upon suscipion of wrong doing, though he was supposed to be a morally just person. In the book, Zayni seems to add more laws, that become stricter and involve harsher punishment as part of his reforms. There is an point at which he discusses controlling the population through fear and how little the peasants' lives mean, it certainly seemed like a position with too much power to me.
ReplyDeleteI think that the Inspector position we spoke about in class played a bigger role in the Empire than we could ever imagine. He really controlled the entire publics behavior and could get involved if he wanted to. Zanyi Barakat helped describe this position in a more controversial way because it presented a bit of both sides of the spectrum.
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