Slave Soldiers and Islam_ The Genesis of a Military System - Daniel Pipes

Appendix 2

201

quiver

andbow-casewhichhefastenedonwhenhemounted.In

hisfifth

year

he

got

abettersaddleandabridlewithstarsonit,

together

withacloakandaclubwhichhe

hung

onthe

club-ring.

Inthesixth

yearhewasmadeacup-bearerorwater-bearerand

he

hung

a

goblet

fromhiswaist.Intheseventh

year

hewasa

robe-bearer.Inthe

eighthyeartheygave

hima

single-apex,

sixteen-peg

tent

and

put

three

newlyboughtpages

inhis

troop;

theygave

himthetitleoftent-leaderand

dressedhiminablack

felthatdecoratedwithsilverwireanda

cloakmadeatGanja.

Everyyeartheyimproved

hisuniformandembellishmentsand

increasedhisrankand

responsibility

untilhebecamea

troop-

leader,

andso onuntilhebecame

achamberlain. Whenhis

suitability,

skilland

bravery

became

generallyrecognized

and

whenhehad

performed

some

outstanding

actionsandbeen

foundtobeconsideratetohisfellowsand

loyal

tohismaster,

thenand

onlythen,whenhewas

thirty-five

or

fortyyears

of

age,

did

they

makehimanamirand

appoint

himtoa

province.

Source:

Siydsatndmeh,pp.

121-23/102-04.Translated

by

H.Darke.

IbnKhaldnn:

IbnKhaldan

(808/1406)says

thataftertheeAbbsid

Empire

had

decayedandbecomeeffeminate,asaresultofthe
indulgence

of

itsrulersin
luxury

and

pleasure,

andaftertheinfidelTartars

hadabolishedthethroneofthe
Caliphate

andIslamhadbeen

overpoweredby

heathendom,"itwas

by

the

grace

ofGod,

glory

beto
Him,

thatHe

came totherescueofthetruefaith,

by

reviving

itslastbreathand

restoring

in

Egypt

the

unity

of

the

Muslims,
guarding

HisOrderand

defending

His

ramparts.

This

Hedid

bysending

tothem(theMuslims),outofthisTurkish

people

andoutof

its

mighty

andnumeroustribes,

guardian

amirsanddevoted
defenderswhoare
imported

asslavesfrom

thelandsofheathendomtothelandsofIslam.Thisstatusof

slavery

isindeeda

blessing

fromDivineProvidence.

They

embraceIslamwiththedeterminationoftruebelievers,while

retaining

theirnomadicvirtueswhich

areundefiledbyvilena-

ture,

unmixedwiththefilthoflustful

pleasures,

unmarred

by