Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

The Hajib (Chamberlain)
The growth of a large empire with scores of newly subdued races and discontented people, the growth of new religious and social movements, which the Caliphs had to suppress, and the rivalry between the members of the Muslim nobility for power, put the lives of the Caliphs in great danger. Umar (Rad.A) I was assassinated by a discontented prisoner of war and Ali (Rad.A) by a disgruntled religious zealot. Mu’awiya (Rad.A) was attacked but he escaped with a serious wound. Since the attack on his life, Mu’awiya (Rad.A) took care not to mingle with the people freely. He conducted the daily prayers but even in the mosque, he had a separate room (al-hujrah) constructed for him. He was the first to place guards (sing, al-haras) at his door and always had a special body guard with him.
Apart from the danger to the life of the Caliph, it was not practicable that he himself should be at the back and call of every citizen of one of the most extensive empires the world has ever seen Therefore, Abdul Malik appointed a Hajib to interview all those who wanted to see the Caliph and send on to him only those who really stood in need of interviewing the Caliph in person. Many of the needs and complaints were attended to by the Fiajib himself. To counterbalance and compensate for this isolation of the Caliph from the common people, ’Abdul Malik fixed a day in the week when he heard all grievances and complaints in period.
The office of the Hajib received additional significance and very great importance under the ’Abbasids. Keeping away a large number of people from interviewing the monarch implied power to the Hajib to remove their grievances himself and thus obviate the necessity of seeing the Caliph. Gradually the power of the Hajib increased on account of his remaining always with the Caliph The duty of the Hajib also included introducing accredited envoys and dignitaries of foreign countries into the presence of the Caliph The Central Boards
The Abbasids developed a very elaborate system of administration. Under the Umayyads there were five Central Boards Qudamah bin Ja’far gives a list of eleven in his days. In determining which of the Central Boards existed during the early Abbasid period, there are four special difficulties.

582 Political and Cultural History of Islam

a. The writers on this subject do not draw’s a clear line between the central departments and the provincial ones. We have simply to infer from the context or with reference to the names of the provinces which are sometimes mentioned along with those of the Boards.
b. Details as to when some of these Boards came into being are not available.
c. It is difficult, nay well-nigh impossible, to give a perfectly accurate account of the administrative machinery at a given period, inasmuch as different rulers frequently made capricious changes”.
d. Some of the departments in big Boards also seem to have been called Diwans.
In spite of the confusion we can clearly make out the following Boards in the centre:
1. Diwanu’I Jund.
2. Diwanu’I-Kharaj.
3. Diwanu’r-Rasa’il.
4. Diwanu’I-Khatam.
5. Diwanu’I-Barid.
Thus the five Central Boards which existed under the Umayyads were continued under the early Abbasids, and many more were added to them. By the end of the first century of the Abbasid rule, the following Boards seem to have been established:
6. Diwanu’I-Azimmah (the Audit and Account Board).
7. Diwanu’n-Nazir fi’I-Mazalim (the Board of Investigation of Grievances).
8. Diwanu’n-Nafaqat (the Board of Expenditure).
9. Diwanu’s-Sawafi (the Board of Crownlands).
10. Diwanu’d-Diya’ (the Board of Estates).
11. Diwanu’s-Sirr (the Board of Secrecy).
12. Diwanu’I-’Ard (the Board of Military Inspection).
13. Diwanu’I-Tawqi’ (the Board of Request).