Robe of honour
{{Short description|Garments historically given by Islamic rulers}}
File:Mahmud in robe from the caliph.jpg dons a robe of honour sent by the Abbasid caliph al-Qadir]]
A robe of honour ({{langx|ar|خلعة|khilʿa}}, plural {{transl|ar|khilaʿ}}, or {{langx|ar|تشريف|tashrīf}}, pl. {{transl|ar|tashārif}} or {{transl|ar|tashrīfāt}}{{sfn|Stillmann|1986|p=6}}) were rich garments given by medieval and early modern Islamic rulers to subjects as tokens of honour, often as part of a ceremony of appointment to a public post, or as a token of confirmation or acceptance of vassalage of a subordinate ruler. They were usually produced in government factories and decorated with the inscribed bands known as ṭirāz.
History
The endowment of garments as a mark of favor is an ancient Middle Eastern tradition, recorded in sources such as the Hebrew Bible and Herodotus.{{sfn|Stillmann|1986|p=6}}
In the Islamic world, Muhammad himself set a precedent when he removed his cloak ({{transl|ar|burda}}) and gave it to Ka'b ibn Zuhayr in recognition of a poem praising him. Indeed, the term {{transl|ar|khilʿa}} "denotes the action of removing one's garment in order to give it to someone".{{sfn|Stillmann|1986|p=6}}
The practice of awarding robes of honour appears in the Abbasid Caliphate, where it became such a regular feature of government that ceremonies of bestowal occurred almost every day, and the members of the caliph's court became known as 'those who wear the {{transl|ar|khilʿa}}' ({{transl|ar|aṣḥāb al-khilʿa}}).{{sfn|Stillmann|1986|p=6}} The bestowal of garments became a fixed part of any investment into office, from that of a governor to the heir-apparent to the throne. As important court occasions, these events were often commemorated by poets and recorded by historians.{{sfn|Stillmann|1986|p=6}}
In Egypt in the Fatimid Caliphate, the practice spread to the wealthy upper middle classes, who began conferring robes of honor on friends and relatives, in emulation of the aristocracy.{{sfn|Stillmann|1986|p=6}} Later, under the Mamluk Sultanate, the system was standardized into a system of classes reflecting the divisions of Mameluke society, each with its own ranks: the military ({{transl|ar|arbāb al-suyūf}}), the civilian bureaucracy ({{transl|ar|arbāb al-aqlām}}), and the religious scholars ({{transl|ar|al-ʿulamāʾ}}).{{sfn|Stillmann|1986|p=6}}
The distribution of the robes of honour was the responsibility of the Keeper of the Privy Purse ({{transl|ar|nāẓir al-khāṣṣ}}), who supervised the Great Treasury ({{transl|ar|al-khizāna al-kubra}}), where the garments were stored.{{sfn|Stillmann|1986|p=6}} Al-Maqrizi provides a detailed description of the garments worn by the various classes and ranks; in addition, Mamluk practice included the bestowal of arms or even a fully outfitted horse from the Sultan's own stables as a {{transl|ar|tashrīf}}.{{sfn|Stillmann|1986|p=6}} The practice remained very common until the early 20th century; in 19th-century India, the bestowal gift or {{transl|ar|khillaut}} ({{transl|ar|khelat}}, {{transl|ar|khilut}}, or {{transl|ar|killut}}) might comprise from five up to 101 articles of clothing.{{sfn|Stillmann|1986|p=7}}
As the practice spread in the Muslim world, and robes began to be given for every conceivable occasion, they also acquired distinct names. Thus for example the {{transl|ar|khilaʿ al-wizāra}} ('robe of the vizierate') would be given on the appointment to the vizierate, while the {{transl|ar|khilaʿ al-ʿazl}} ('robe of dismissal') upon an—honourable—dismissal, the {{transl|ar|khilaʿ al-kudūm}} might be given to an arriving guest, while the {{transl|ar|khilaʿ al-safar}} would to a departing guest, etc.{{sfn|Stillmann|1986|p=7}}
Sums of money or other valuables were also given as part of the bestowal ceremony, or, in some cases, in lieu of the robe. In the Ottoman Empire, such a sum was known as {{transl|ar|khilʿet behā}} ('price of {{transl|ar|khilʿa}}'); most commonly this referred to the donativum received by the Janissaries on the accession of a new sultan.{{sfn|Stillmann|1986|pp=6–7}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
Sources
- {{cite book | last = Mayer | first = Leo Ary | authorlink = Leo Aryeh Mayer | title = Mamluk Costume: A Survey | publisher = A. Kundig | year = 1952 | url = {{Google Books|OrffAAAAMAAJ|plainurl=y}} }}
- {{EI2 | last = Stillmann | first = N. A.|date=1986 | title =K̲h̲ilʿa | volume = 5 | pages = 6–7 | doi =10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0507}}
- {{cite book |last1=Stillman |first1=Yedida Kalfon | editor = Norman A. Stillman |title=Arab Dress, A Short History: From the Dawn of Islam to Modern Times |date=2003 |publisher=Brill | location = Leiden and Boston |edition=Revised Second |isbn=978-90-04-11373-2 }}
{{Abbasid Caliphate topics}}
{{Phaleristics}}
Category:Government of the Abbasid Caliphate