Vizier (Abbasid Caliphate)

The vizier (Arabic: وزير, romanized: wazīr) was the senior minister of the Abbasid Caliphate, and set a model that was widely emulated in the Muslim world.

The majority of the viziers were of non-Arab origin, and several were also notable patrons of poets and scholars, sponsoring the Translation Movement as well as religious works.

wuzurg framadār), but others have stressed an independent evolution in the Arab-Islamic world, from the position of secretarial scribe (kātib) to that of royal councillor.

[1] The early history of the office was dominated by the Iranian Barmakid family, which held unparalleled authority during most of the reign of Harun al-Rashid (r. 786–809).

For most of his reign, it was the chief qāḍī, Ahmad ibn Abi Du'ad, who was the most influential figure in the administration, resulting in considerable rivalry between the latter and the viziers of the period.

[2][7] The two groups represented primarily different factions in a struggle for office and power, but there are indications of what might be termed "ideological" differences as well: many of the Banu'l-Jarrah families hailed from converted Nestorian families and employed Christians in the bureaucracy, in addition to maintaining closer ties with the military, while the Banu'l-Furat tried to impose firm civilian control of the army and—albeit not quite openly—favoured Shi'ism.

The loss of provinces, coupled with the decline in productivity of the Sawad, reduced the income available to meet the extravagant expenditure of the caliphal court and the incessant need to pay the army, while the corruption and infighting within the administration hindered orderly government and reform efforts.