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Qaratis also known as Umm Harun (Template:Lang-ar) or Umm al-Wathiq (Template:Lang-ar) was the mother of ninth Abbasid caliph Al-Wathiq who ruled Abbasid Caliphate from 842 to 847.

Al-Wathiq was the son of al-Mu'tasim by a Byzantine Greek slave (umm walad), called Qaratis. He was born on 17 April 812 (various sources give slightly earlier or later dates in 811–813), on the road to Mecca. He was named Harun after his grandfather, Caliph Harun al-Rashid (r. 786–809).

Early life of Qaratis is unclear as Al-Wathiq's early life is obscure, all the more since his father was initially a junior prince without prospects of succession. When al-Mu'tasim became caliph, he took care for his son and heir to acquire experience in governance. Thus al-Wathiq was left in charge of the capital Baghdad in 835, when al-Mu'tasim moved north to found a new capital at Samarra.

She accompanied al-Wathiq's brother Jafar ibn al-Mu'tasim (the future caliph Al-Mutawakkil) on the pilgrimage in A.H. 227. However, she died on the way on August 16, 842. She was buried in Kufa.

Qaratis in literature

The name Qaratis is used for a fictional novel Vathek. Vathek (alternatively titled Vathek, an Arabian Tale) is a Gothic novel written by William Beckford. It was composed in French beginning in 1782, and then translated into English by Reverend Samuel Henley

The fictional character of Qaratis is portrayed as a woman of Greek origin, who is well versed in science, astrology, and occult magic. She teaches all of her skills to Vathek, and convinces him to embark on his quest for power which eventually leads to his damnation. When arriving in hell, Carathis runs amok, exploring the palace, discovering its hidden secrets, and even tries to stage a rebellion. However, once her own punishment is enacted, she too loses all hope and is consumed by her guilt.

See also

• Muhammad ibn al-Mu'tasim

Sources

• Turner, John P. (2013). "The Enigmatic Reign of al-Wāthiq (r. 227/842-232/847)". In Bernards, Monique (ed.). Abbasid Studies IV. Occasional Papers of the School of Abbasid Studies. Gibb Memorial Trust. pp. 218–231. ISBN 9780906094983.
• Kraemer, Joel L., ed. (1989). The History of al-Ṭabarī, Volume XXXIV: Incipient Decline: The Caliphates of al-Wāthiq, al-Mutawakkil and al-Muntaṣir, A.D. 841–863/A.H. 227–248. SUNY Series in Near Eastern Studies. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0-88706-874-4.
• Zetterstéen, K. V.; Bosworth, C. E. & van Donzel, E. (2002). "al-Wāt̲h̲iḳ Bi 'llāh". In Bearman, P. J.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E. & Heinrichs, W. P. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume XI: W–Z. Leiden: E. J. Brill. p. 178. ISBN 978-90-04-12756-2.

References

1. ^ Turner 2013, p. 219.
2. Kraemer 1989, pp. 52–53.
3. Zetterstéen, Bosworth & van Donzel 2002, p. 178.

• 9th-century births
• 842 deaths
• Abbasids
• Medieval slaves
• Wives of Abbasid caliphs
• 9th-century people of the Abbasid Caliphate
• Slave concubines
• Concubines of the Abbasid caliphs