Dar al-Tiraz workflow and its organizational interactions

Abstract

Tiraz textiles with patterns and writings had wide applications in the organization of Islamic governments.In the early twentieth century, a vast number of high-quality tiraz textiles were discovered, capturing the attention of researchers. These textiles often contain historical and political content. Although scientific efforts were made to understand tiraz and tiraz workshops, a clear picture of their organizational structure and relationships is still lacking. This research aims to illustrate the status of Dar al-Tiraz as an institution responsible for producing luxurious and inscribed textiles for the court, providing insight into its organizational connections during the Abbasid and Fatimid periods.The research questions include: What was the general position and role of tiraz workshops within the administrative structures of the Abbasid and Fatimid governments? What was the organizational framework governing these workshops for tiraz textile production? How did the functions of tiraz khasah (private tiraz) and tiraz 'ammah (public tiraz) relate to the ruling court, given the conflicting historical examples?Findings from the study, based on descriptive-analytical methods and library research, indicate that tiraz workshops during the Abbasid and Fatimid periods produced luxurious textiles bearing the names and titles of caliphs, their successors, viziers, and sometimes regional rulers. Consequently, managing the Dar al-Tiraz institution was of great importance and was typically entrusted to individuals close to the caliph. The administration of this institution was under the complex oversight of various governmental departments.The responsibility for managing tiraz production workshops rested with an official called Nazir al-Tiraz or Sahib al-Tiraz. Monitoring the quality of tiraz textiles and ensuring the correct inscription of caliphal titles were key duties assigned to rulers, governors, and tiraz workshop managers. Therefore, the Nazir al-Tiraz was usually chosen from among religious or military officials, though evidence suggests that non-Muslims also played roles in managing and producing these textiles at certain times.High-ranking officials such as the ‘Amil (agent), Musharif (supervisor), and Shahid (witness) assisted the Nazir al-Tiraz in supervising and controlling tiraz workshops, ensuring that exquisite textiles were produced according to well-documented standards and treasury inventories. In the tiraz textile production process, the Dar al-Kiswah prepared a list of requested items, including required funds and gold thread, in cooperation with the Dar al-Darb (mint). This list was then sent to the tiraz workshop, where numerous weavers and artisans worked under court supervision, and at times, even under the direct oversight of the caliph, to produce textiles according to Tazkirat al-Tiraz (a production manual).After rigorous qualitative and quantitative inspections in the tiraz workshop, the textiles were sent to the Dar al-Kiswah, where they underwent further review. The Diwan al-Majlis meticulously recorded all expenses related to tiraz textile production throughout this process.Tiraz workshops existed across many regions of the Islamic world, with both tiraz khasah (private tiraz) and tiraz 'ammah (public tiraz) under court ownership. However, tiraz 'ammah had more freedom to produce commercial tiraz for generating government revenue. When necessary, and during times of high demand, tiraz 'ammah assisted tiraz khasah in producing textiles that met court standards.