Fatima.Mernessi_The-Forgotten-Queens-of-Islam-EN

The Shi'ite Dynasty of Yemen 135
of his enterprise, 'Ali had that intense manner of silent attention
combined with detachment of the true political leader. Such a leader
is there to receive us and not harangue us, to listen and not just
give orders, to synthesize our ideas and problems and not depreciate
them; his charisma is enchanced by the brilliance of those around
him, not by their self-effacement. We see ourselves in such a leader,
and he enchants us. The citadel at San'a soon became a gathering
place for all the chiefs of the rival clans, invited to come and sit
together and voice their opinions. In fact, following an ancient
Yemeni custom, which would survive until the proclamation of the
Republic of Yemen in 1969, 'Ali kept all the conquered princes at
his side. 64 He constructed palaces in San'a for them, close to his
own, and thus made them participate in the running of the country
- a peaceful way of neutralizing political opponents that one scarcely
finds on the contemporary Arab scene. 65 In under three years
Yemen was transferred from a zone of internal discord and divisions
into a prosperous country where the safety of the roads assured and
reflected the country's prosperity.
In 458/1066 'Ali decided to undertake a journey that was dear to
his heart, a journey that would be the crowning event of his career:
a pilgrimage to Mecca with all the pomp and ceremony that would
recall to Muslims the grandeur of their ancestors, when in the time
of the Prophet he and his Companions saw advancing toward them
in the dusty streets of Medina the delegations from San'a, come
like all the others to swear the oath of allegiance. The sovereigns
of Yemen stood out from all the others with their crowned heads
and cloaks of fabulous weaves, and with their gold-harnessed
mounts. And what better place, for a Muslim head of state who
wanted to exhibit his power on the international scene, than Mecca
with its huge crowds? The pilgrimage drew the common people, it
is true, but at this time in history the caravans of pilgrims often had
the look of an official cortege and in some years were led by the
heads of state themselves or their heir apparent. They consisted of
enormous retinues that spent whole weeks en route and as a result
required painstaking organization, not just of supplies, but also of
diplomatic and sometimes military arrangements to ensure security
during the crossing of various territories that were not always
friendly. As a matter of fact, the safe and sound arrival of the
caravan of a given country in Mecca was in itself proof of its military
power and prosperity. The Fatimids out-manoeuvred the caliphate
of Baghdad by sowing turmoil and civil wars in the provinces that
the caravan from Iraq was traversing, and this impeded its arrival