Shams al Nahar & Ali ibn Bakkar: Historical Context

The story is one of the longest and continuous romantic story in the collection of Arabian Nights. It has a strong Baghdad centred Abbasid historical background.  It is placed in the social environment of 8th to 9th century Baghdad.

The protagonist, Ali ibn-Bakkar was a wealthy youth who came to Baghdad. The heroine Shams al-Nahar is associated with the courtly circle of Abbasid Caliph, Harun al Rashid.
The text of the story depicts places, eunuchs, slave girls, gardens, merchants, robbers and the life in eighth and ninth century Baghdad, all of which were part of Abbasid culture and tradition.

The narrative belongs to the romance of passions and tragic love type in Arabic literature, like that of Majnum Lyla, tragically ending in idealized love.

Shams al Nahar was a slave girl attached to Caliph. But she enjoyed special privileges like separate quarters and maid servants.
Abbasid era was known for opulence, patronage of poetry, and tales of love and intrigue at court.  The story mirrors social hierarchies: courtiers, wealthy merchants, noble men, wives, concubines, slaves, eunuchs.
Merchant characters and slave girl go-between reflects Baghdad's role as a commercial and cosmopolitan hub, with luxury goods, perfumes, and precious fabrics and jewellery, often described in detail.

Some scholars are of opinion that romance has roots in historical anecdotes and gossips about love affairs among elite members of royal court. The story is a blend of urban realism and idealized romance. It mixes real historical settings and social structure with the Arabic literary tradition of tragic love.  Unlike the magical adventures in other parts of Arabian Nights, this story offers a realistic window into Abbasid eras high society.

The End

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