Women’s Conditions in Mosul Society during the Atabeg Period - (521–660 AH / 1127–1262 AD)

Abstract

This study examines the conditions of women in Mosul society during the Atabeg (Zengid) period, extending from 521 AH/1127 AD to approximately 660 AH/1262 AD. It seeks to uncover the roles played by women of Mosul in social, familial, intellectual, political, and economic life, employing the descriptive-analytical historical method. The research presents the historical and political framework in which the Atabeg state was established in Mosul, analyzes the social composition of Mosul’s ethnically and religiously diverse society, and then investigates the social conditions of women regarding marriage, dowries, and family customs. It also examines women’s participation in intellectual life through hadith transmission, scholarly circles, and the establishment of schools and endowments (awqāf). Furthermore, the study highlights the political role of women of the Atabeg court, such as Zumurrud Khātūn and ʿIṣmat al-Dīn Khātūn, and traces women’s economic activities in crafts, property ownership, and endowment administration. The study concludes that women in Atabeg Mosul enjoyed a notable presence in public life, despite the limited independent space accorded to them in historical sources.