New Empire Podcast episode:

The Graceful Reed: How al-Khayzuran, the most powerful woman in the world, ruled the Abbasid Empire

anita anand & I talk to Hugh Kennedy about the great Queen who ruled from Morocco to Afghanistan

Sold as a slave to the great Abbasid Caliph, al-Khayzuran quickly rose to the very top of the pyramid. Through marriage and motherhood, she became wife of the caliph and then Queen Mother and in both instances she wielded extraordinary power.

In the court at Baghdad - the very heart of the civilised world - al-Khayzuran had major influence and it is probable that during her lifetime, she was the most powerful woman in the world, determining politics from Morocco to Afghanistan.

At the height of her power she assassinated one of her sons, and put a second on the throne. Listen Empire Podcast as William and anita anand are joined by Hugh Kennedy to discuss the extraordinary life of al-Khayzuran.
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