This article presents a study of the women of the Abbasid household in 8th-/14th- and 9th-/15th-century Cairo. Following a discussion of the size and growth of the Abbasid family, the article juxtaposes a late fourteenth-century marriage document, which extolls the virtues of unions made with the caliph’s family, against the historical record of marriages made by Abbasid and non-Abbasid spouses in search of social capital. The study seeks to understand the meaning attached to marriages made with Abbasid family members, and the social advantages the caliphal family hoped to gain in return. By thus reconsidering the role of Abbasid concubines and princesses, we challenge preconceived notions about the agency and mobility of Abbasid family members in late medieval Cairo and demonstrate their freedom of movement in pursuing valuable marriage connections. The article is thus a contribution to broader understandings of notable women in premodern Islamicate societies.

本文介绍了对 8 世纪/14 世纪和 9 世纪/15 世纪开罗的阿拔斯王朝妇女的研究。在讨论了阿拔斯家族的规模和成长之后，这篇文章将 14 世纪晚期的一份婚姻文件与阿拔斯王朝和非阿拔斯王朝配偶的婚姻历史记录并列，该文件颂扬了与哈里发家族结盟的美德寻找社会资本。该研究旨在了解与阿拔斯家族成员结婚的意义，以及哈里发家族希望获得的社会优势作为回报。通过重新考虑阿拔斯王朝妃嫔和公主的角色，我们挑战了关于中世纪晚期开罗阿拔斯家族成员的能动性和流动性的先入为主的观念，并展示了他们在追求有价值的婚姻关系方面的行动自由。因此，这篇文章有助于更广泛地了解前现代伊斯兰社会中的著名女性。