CALIPHS OF BAGDAD. 21 



the crime he intended to punish. But the tyrant 

 met with his deserts., having fallen by the hands of 

 his own slaves, who employed against his life those 

 scimitars which he had recently distributed among 

 them for the defence of his person and throne. From 

 the death of this prince the destination of the crown 

 was usually fixed by the fierce and mercenary chiefs 

 of the Tartar slaves or guards, and in their power 

 it continued for twelve successions, including a pe- 

 riod of about eighty-four years. 



Yet with all this weakness a show of external 

 strength and magnificence was maintained. Of 

 Moktader's court and camp at Bagdad (A. D. 917) 

 we find a curious picture in Abulfeda, little accord- 

 ant with the declining state of his authority. " The 

 caliph's whole army/' says he, " both horse and 

 foot, was under arms, which together made a body 

 of 160,000 men. His state-officers, the favourite 

 slaves, stood near him in splendid apparel, their 

 belts glittering with gold and gems. Near them 

 were 7000 eunuchs ; 4000 of them white, the re- 

 mainder black. The porters or doorkeepers were in 

 number 700. Barges and boats with the most su- 

 perb decorations were seen floating upon the Tigris. 

 Nor was the palace itself less splendid, in which 

 were hung up 38,000 pieces of tapestry; 12,500 of 

 which were of silk, embroidered with gold. The 

 carpets on the floor were 22,000. A hundred lions 

 were brought out, with a keeper to each. Among 

 the other spectacles of rare and stupendous luxury, 

 was a tree of gold and silver, spreading into eighteen 

 larger branches, on which, and on the lesser boughs, 

 sat a variety of birds, made of the same precious 

 metals, as well as the leaves of the tree. The birds 



