Page 128 - Histories of City and State in the Persian Gulf_Neat

108 Histories of City and State in the Persian Gulf

‘big men’ of the community. The majority of the sponsors of Baharna

ma’tams were pearl merchants with fleets who financed expeditions to the

pearl banks. Some households like the Ibn Rajabs, Ibn Zabars and al-

‘Urayyads were owners of agricultural land. Persian ma’tams were sup-

ported by general merchants and entrepreneurs, like the Bushehris and

the Kazerunis, reflecting the patterns of occupation among the highe r

echelons of the community. Merchant households used their association

with several ma’tams to cement alliances and to bind clientele networks

together. The Ibn Rajab and al-‘Alawi families, for instance, financed part

of the building of Ma’tam al-Madan, while the rich pearl merchants

al-Mud ay fa‘ jo in ed t h e M a ’tam Bin Rajab before they t ook over the

ma nage ment of the ir own ho us e of m ourn in g in a l-Ha mmam. Whil e

Persian ma’tams were organised mainly along ethnic lines, among the

Baharna affiliation to the houses of mourning united segments of artisans

and petty traders, providing the platform for the creation of strong corpor-

atist identities. A powerful association of butchers (jama‘ah al-qassabin)

emerged under the umbrella of the Ma’tam al-Madan which had a strong

following among the traders of the markets controlled by the Al Khalifah.

In al-Mukharaqah district, Ma’tam B in Aman , o ri gin all y a con g regation

supported by fishermen and pearl labourers, maintained a strong con-

nection with its popular base after it became an ‘official’ house of mourn-

ing during the pearl boom. In some cases, ma’tams also served to cement

quarter solidarities. The committee of Hajj ‘Abbas included families of

different social standing and represented the different segments of the

population of al-Hammam district. 83

Donations by affiliates were an important facet of the collective ethos of

ma’tams and an integral part of the mobilisation of resources for the

organisation of religious celebrations. Direct sponsorship brought per-
sonal fulfilment and social reward, regardless of the means of donors.
Contributions ranged from labour for the construction, upkeep and repair
of the buildings, cooking and serving food during festivities, to commod-
ities such as rice, meat, oil, candles and kitchen utensils. Several examples
suggest that offering religious texts and expertise were particularly presti-
gious gifts, as they nurtured peoples’ sentiments towards the Ahl al-Bayt.
In 1854 Salih Jum‘ah al-Khatti gave two books of hadith to the recently
established Ma’tam al-Bada‘, and recorded his name in the front page
of the manuscript listing his other contributions, several coffee pots and
rice containers. 84 Around 1885 one donor, possibly a mulla from Iran,
83
Sayf, al-Ma’tam, vol. I, pp. 99–102, 113, 179–82; interview with ‘Abdallah Sayf,
Manama, 20 March 2004.
84
Sayf, al-Ma’tam, vol. I, p. 195.