ABSTRACT
Occasional reports concerning the arrival of a foreign ambassador and, more frequently, detailed accounts of royal ceremonies and processions readily attest to the brilliance of the Fatimid court. Typically such sources testify most fully about the caliph, his appearance, what he rode, what he wore, with less said about the courtiers, those of the elite who participated in such ceremonies, occupied the higher echelons of the government, and formed the social networks that surrounded and supported the court itself. What was the position of the members of the ruling family, for example? Were Ismailis privileged over others? How, and how often, did major families maintain their lofty status through succeeding generations? Was there a class distinction, a group elevated by self-perception of superiority, and, if so, did it function interactively by forming alliances through social relations and marriages?
