al-Siyasa lil-Wazir al-Maghribi
- Author died
- 418 AH
- Editions
- Mu'assasat Shabab al-Jami'ah
al-Siyasa lil-Wazir al-Maghribi (The Book of Politics by the Maghribi Vizier) is a concise Arabic treatise on governance and political ethics authored by al-Wazir al-Maghribi, Abu al-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ali (370–418 AH / 980–1027 CE) .
Purpose and Scope
The author states at the beginning of the text that a work on politics must be kept brief because its primary audience consists of rulers and dignitaries whose time is heavily occupied with public affairs . He emphasizes that love of knowledge and learning from the histories of predecessors provides leaders with practical foresight, as later generations can judge the full outcomes of past policies .
Structure and Content
The author organizes political administration (siyasa) into three progressive domains: the ruler's governance of himself, his governance of his inner circle (al-khassa), and his governance of the general public (al-ʻamma) .
Self-Governance of the Ruler
The ruler begins by disciplining both his physical body and his moral character:
- Physical regimen: Training the body to endure cold and heat; moderating dietary habits (quoting a physician named Sa'id on exercise and digestion); avoiding intoxication so that governance is not neglected; maintaining vigilance through regulated sleep habits; using bathhouses (hammam) for health maintenance; and engaging in physical exercises such as polo (al-sawlajan) .
- Moral and administrative virtues: Cultivating the fear of God (taqwa Allah), gratitude, justice, and beneficence; executing duties promptly rather than postponing daily tasks; ensuring that subjects obey out of love rather than sheer terror; fulfilling promises and threats; and embodying key virtues including knowledge, chastity, forbearance, generosity, and courage .
Governance of the Elite
The author compares the ruler's inner circle and state officials to limbs of the body, stressing that their moral discipline directly impacts the stability of the entire state . Rulers must inspect their officers continuously, just as a master artisan inspects and sharpens his tools . He advises rulers to treat the elite with generosity before being asked, pardon inadvertent errors, avoid overworking them, and reject unsubstantiated gossip . He also delineates the qualities required for key offices, including the scribe of correspondence (katib al-rasa'il), chamberlain (hajib), tax collector (jabi al-amwal), army commander (qa'id al-jaysh), police chief (sahib al-shurta), judge (hakim), and market inspector (muhtasib) .
Governance of the General Populace
The author notes that managing the wider public is challenging due to the diversity of popular temperaments, requiring a balance between firmness and leniency . Key measures include:
- Recognizing social ranks, honoring scholars and ascetics, and encouraging notables to attend court (referencing the political testament of Ardashir) .
- Protecting roads and borders to foster trade and agriculture, while imposing strict punishments on bandits and thieves .
- Shielding the vulnerable from forced labor, and eliminating bribery among officials, which he terms the root of corruption and injustice .
- Regulating urban movement through entry permits, showing hospitality to foreign emissaries without keeping them overly long, and investing in intelligence networks to gather news of allies and adversaries alike .
Conclusion and Publication
The treatise concludes with the advice given by the Caliph Abu Bakr al-Siddiq to Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan upon dispatching the Muslim armies to Syria, adapted into clear phrasing suited for contemporary rulers .
The text was published in Damascus in 1368 AH / 1948 CE .
Answer updated