Laura Sammartino
Mini Project
Professor Straughn
24 April 2009
Objective: I have created a “blog” with different entries which are designed to provide a
teenager with a holistic understanding of 9th century Abbasid Baghdad from a male,
Christian, merchant’s point of view.
Hi! I am a Christian male from 9th century Abbasid Baghdad looking to make
connections and social networking. I am good with languages and am very open minded.
I am fairly well off and would certainly consider myself cultured and worldly! I enjoy hot
days at the suq, long walks by the Tigris, watching for ships, and an occasional camel
ride.
Want to know more about my life? Read my blog below and maybe you can stop by my
stand at the suq one day soon.
[BLOG]
Just a Typical Day
The daily scene at the bazaar allows for this mixture and coming together of
peoples all intent on buying and selling. There are goods from far away lands. And I am
constantly in awe of these foreign objects and the value some men place on them. I have
seen goods from everywhere! You name it, Europe, Russia, China, India, Africa…I have
seen and sold it all.
So many wonderful and different things surround me. I feel as though I am in
many places at once. Which is an odd feeling to have, but yet it is a familiar one. There
are people of different nationalities around me and I can hear numerous languages. I am
quite good at understanding these languages, as it is required of me…
Some men are ignorant to life outside our round city. I consider myself very in
touch with the outside world, simply from my daily exposure at the bazaar. I bet you
would have never known that rice didn’t originate here. It came from India, but
knowledge and the crop itself was brought here through the wonders of trade and the land
allowed it to grow. Yet, other items that many of the elite enjoy, such as coffee, apples
and spices are transported to Baghdad and find their way into this very market. Here
comes the caravan now!
Thoughts on Samarra
There is a city 125 kilometers north of here on the eastern bank of the Tigris
River. It is known as Samarra and has become the new capital of the Abbasid caliphate.
Al- Mutasim moved the seat of government there in 836. The city is beautiful and full of
wonder. The lavishness can be seen in the architecture- there are some incredible
mosques, a multitude of palaces, grand courtyards, lakes and large avenues. Apparently
it was started as a garrison for those Turkish slave soldiers…
If you ask me though, it was incredibly poor planning. I don’t believe that city
has what it takes to thrive. The land is poor and gravelly, and it does not have proper
access to trade on the Tigris. Cities like my magnificent Baghdad are ideally located!
Poor city planning…they should know the importance of location, location, location!!!
Not to mention, there is the obvious disparity in tastes…what kind of culture is to be
forged from the mixture of elite, royalty and mere soldiers?!
Where am I?
I typically ask myself this question. One can approach this in many different
ways. There is of course the historical- Baghdad was a city founded in 762 and was the
capital of the Abbasid dynasty, until the caliph foolishly relocated the capital to Samarra.
The city has around half a million people! And Baghdad is bigger in size than both
Ctesiphon and Constantinople.
Also, it is fairly central in what I consider to be the civilized world. From here
there is contact with China and India. In fact, the Mediterranean has been linked with the
China from the endless trade! It is anything but insular. I think in part this is due to the
Abbasid dynasty and its interest in the outside world. Goods and ideas are constantly
being interchanged and I can see the influences of these far off lands in my everyday life.
There are certainly aspects of the outside world here in Baghdad, and I think the easiest
place to see the influence is right here! In this suq!
I am very proud of my city, as I make quite apparent. It is elegant and certainly a center
of world trade and economics.
A Word about the Suq
Just about every occupation to be found in Baghdad has its own suq (market). Or
if not a suq, then at least a street! This sort of planning and layout makes everything so
efficient! Buying and selling is not a hassle, and the interactions are not to be dreaded.
The efficiency of trade here is what has made Baghdad a prosperous city. Both camels
and ships have easy access over the different known trade routes. I look forward to the
monthly trade fairs that take place here!
Trade under the Abbasids is safer, freer, and more extensive than it has ever been
before! The Abbasid caliphate has in effect unified much of the Eastern world through
the powers of trade. One can find anything he needs in Baghdad’s markets…there are
spices, minerals, dyes, gems, fabrics, honey, wax, ivory, gold, silks, musk, porcelain, and
of course slaves.
Trade has influenced the lives of many, not just those who are exporting and
importing the goods. It has also created a need for craftsmen of all sorts.
Politics of the Fickle
Although I should not be one to criticize the Abbasid dynasty, since I am quite
well off financially and do not have a reason to hold grievances with the state, I cannot
fail to note what I see as some predominantly detrimental themes in the court’s
administration. There is an overriding lack of security within politics which goes hand in
hand with the instability of power. It is very easy to fall in or out of favor, both with the
citizens and amongst the ruling class. Take for example, the Barmakid family. They
were among some of the most influential in society just below the level of the caliph.
And for such a short while! Despite the fact that they did many beneficial things for the
state involving the strengthening of the government and the promotion of culture and the
arts, in the end they fell from power after a mere 17 years.
Absurdities of Fashion
I look at that man selling fish and I immediately know his class and status within
our society. I do not even need to see him selling fish to know his place in Baghdad’s
social hierarchy. Who would have thought so much could be told from the mere clothes
on a man’s back? But yet, in this society one cannot escape his identity- the clothes
speak to the world and make men vulnerable, revealing things that can be personal like
wealth and religion. I sometimes think I am trapped in a society that only cares about the
material things. Is it really necessary to have laws concerning dress regulations?!
Religious Tolerance?
As I stated earlier, I am a follower of the Christian religion, and, thus, I am in the
minority. Although the citizens of Baghdad are predominantly Muslims, there is great
religious tolerance here, for which I am very grateful. The Abbasids treat us nonMuslims well. They make Christians, Jews, and pagans feel accustomed to our
surroundings and the city we call home through the construction of churches, synagogues
and fire temples.
However, as I have mentioned, there are some exclusive laws, such as rules that
govern how we dress which make it all too apparent that we are not considered equals.
Additionally, we are excluded from farming and thus, many Christians like myself have
sought commercial occupations.
I do not mind this, and in fact I feel quite well suited towards commerce and
trade. I am literate and have knowledge of foreign languages with which I can effectively
communicate to various groups of people. This gives me character and strength!
Through my work, I can, in a sense connect the empire to the outside world.
Knowledge-A Wonderful Thing
What a wonderful time! I cannot be more proud of the great thought and work in
the areas of religion, history, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, chemistry and
agriculture that came out of this era. Through this time a greater emphasis was placed on
knowledge. One can see the value the state now places on knowledge by simply visiting
the Bayt al Hikma.