Marriage and Birthing
Only Jewish people were allowed to attend Jewish weddings.
False
What day of the week did Jewish parents forbid sexual activity and work, treating it as sacred?
The Sabbath (Saturday).
Where did women perform the salat (prayers) when being prepared for marriage in Algiers?
In a bedroom, after being washed and having their hair shaved/trimmed.
How were Christians able to occasionally enter the mosque?
By bribing the Muslim doorkeepers with coins.
New mothers were only visited by only other women friends and relatives.(T/F)
True
Why did the groom in Muslim weddings try to step on the bride's foot?
It symbolized who would be dominant in the house(“Rooster in the house”)
According to Rycaut, how did some Christian women sell the fruit of their bodies into the service of the Antichrist?
By entering marriages or concubinage with Turks, raising children in Islam, and risking apostasy.
Why did some men prefer to marry renegade women as opposed to Moorish or Turkish women?
Many prefer to marry renegade women as they often bring smaller dowries and are “sometimes more agreeable in person and manners”
Why did al-Maqrizi describe some Christian lineages as “mixed” after conversion?
Because converted some Copts intermarried with Muslims, blending families and creating new social hierarchies.
In Algiers, where did the Jewish population originate from?
Spain, Africa, Balearic Islands
In Algiers, what ritual is performed when a girl is deemed ready for marriage?
The bride-to-be was washed, bathed, and painted with makeup, henna, and perfumes to prepare her for her husband OR When a girl was deemed ready for marriage, her friends and relatives held days of dances and parties in her home.
How did Moorish women musicians contribute to pre-wedding festivities in Algiers?
They played tambourines and rattles while the bride’s friends danced and sang.
Why were women in Algiers forbidden from attending mosques, and how did this shape marriage rituals?
Women were barred because marabouts believed their presence would cause men to sin. This reinforced the idea that women’s religious duties, like the pre-marriage salat, had to be performed privately.
What were some of the factors that contributed to the anger of Muslim commoners against Coptic Christians in 1354?
because many Copts held government positions, enjoyed relative affluence, and renovated churches.
How did Algerian parents use religious and magical objects to protect infants, and what does this tell us about their worldview?
They hung Qur’anic verses, charms, and animal relics on babies to protect them from harm; this reflects a worldview blending religion, superstition, and social ritual in everyday life.
What traditional practice was frequently used to induce labor in women?
Parading around a sheet containing an egg while singing prayers.
After the consummation of an Algerian marriage what joyful ritual took place outside of the bridal chamber.
The husband threw out the bride’s undergarments, which women received with music, shouts, and celebration to signal her previous chastity.
Were women receiving dowries a form of economic progressiveness or a way to commercialize marriage?
Women receiving dowries could be seen as economically progressive because it gave brides material security and recognized their role in marriage OR It commercialized marriage by turning it into a financial transaction between families rather than a purely personal or spiritual union.
What long-term social effects did the forced conversions of Copts under the Mamluks have on Egyptian society?
Converted Copts intermarried with Muslims, and their descendants rose to important positions such as judges, legal witnesses, and scholars, blending lineages and changing established social hierarchies.
Why did Moorish men in Algiers sometimes keep multiple wives in separate towns or rooms, and how did this reflect social and religious priorities?
To manage resources, maintain household harmony, and properly manage and care for their multiple wives in accordance with islamic law. Additionally, rotating his visits allows for the man to treat his wives equally in time, affection and attention, at least in theory.
Instead of using a clergy, what unusual steps did quakers take in their marriage ceremonies?
Publicly declared vows for each other before a group of witnesses(illegal at the time).
Why did some Copts convert to Islam during times of persecution, according to al-Maqrizi?
Because their incomes shrank, their churches were destroyed, and they sought protection.
Compare and contrast the customs and culture surrounding marriage within Islam in 1612 and Quakerism in 1865. How do they reflect the social values of these two different religions?
Both reinforced community values, but Islam emphasized continuity, restricted gender roles and honor through ritual, while Quakers emphasized spiritual equality, community involvement, inter-faith marriage and plainness.
How did Muslim perceptions of Christians differ between the Mamluk period and the Ottoman period?
In Mamluk Egypt, Christians were viewed as wealthy, privileged, and resented for it, leading to mob violence and destruction of churches. In the Ottoman controlled Balkans, Christians were often seen as submissive subjects, but women’s relationships with non christian Turks caused tension within their own communities.
In what ways did the use of dowries in Algerian Muslim marriages both protect women and reinforce family hierarchies?
Dowries gave material security to brides but also tied them into economic and social obligations, showing a balance between personal protection and reinforcing patriarchal structures.