Zayni Barakat and the Muhtasib

While learning about the muhtasib in class, I was interested to learn more about the role he played in Mamluk Dynasty. Overall, a basic definition of a muhtasib is someone who is an overseer of both bazaars and trade routes in Islamic countries. His obligations were, not only to provide public safety, but to guarantee that public business was conducted in harmony with the law of sharia. An example of this can be seen Cairo during the reign of Sultan Barqūq. During this time, the muhtasib of Cairo had to make sure that there was a proper regulation of weights, money, prices, public morals, and the cleanliness of public places, as well as the supervision of schools, instruction, teachers, and students, and attention to public baths, general public safety, and the circulation of traffic.

An example of this can be seen in the novel Zayni Barakat by Gamal al-Ghitani. In this novel Ghitani portrays what obligations the muhtasib had to fulfill. In this novel the muhtasib’s was expected to inspect the market place. Overall, this individual has to monitor the prices in the market place as well as ethical affairs. The muhtasib can also be seen as the enforcer in Egypt during this time frame. After reading this novel, it was evident that without the muhtasib, there would have been even more corruption that existed in Cairo during the Mamluk reign.