On writing a new childrens' book on the Barmakid Jafar (part 2): Hero or Villain?
Jafar: Hero or Villain?
By Siobhan Templeton, October 2024
As author of this new book for children on the Barmakids, I have focused the attention of the stories in the collection on the relationship between Jafar and Harun al-Rashid. Jafar is son of Yahya and grandson of Khalid who established the Barmakid family firmly at the top of the caliphate in the 8th century and was an extremely powerful and influential family. Jafar had grown up with Harun al-Rashid and many well-known tales of their escapades exist in the various editions of A Thousand and One Nights.
Yet, this is also the Jafar of Disney’s Aladdin : the evil, power-hungry vizier who manipulates the hapless caliph, father of Princess Jasmine. For many children (and adults!), the image of Jafar double-crossing Aladdin over the Magic Lamp, eventually dropping him into the collapsing Cave of Wonders, is the one that abides. Many a nightmare could have been spared if Disney had stuck to the character profile of the original Jafar. He emerges from these stories as handsome, adventurous, wise, loyal - quite the opposite of the Disney version.
The real villain of these stories is Harun al-Rashid whose jealousy and pride overwhelm him and ultimately do for Jafar in the end. As a young man Harun al-Rashid, in his desire to spend as much time as possible with his best friend Jafar, but also with his sister, Abbasa, demands that they marry. A fairy-tale outcome, one would think, but sadly not the case for this relationship. Harun al-Rashid adds a fateful condition: though married, Jafar and Abbasa may never consummate the marriage.
Predictably, it doesn’t end well. But, as this tragic story unfolds, many tales of the Barmakids and their world are explored revealing a highly cultured, wealthy and sophisticated society. The story tacks-back at the end to an earlier incident where the power of the friendship of the two central characters is shown in all its innocence. As they walk off into the distance, having played a trick on a haughty and manipulative dignitary, Harun al-Rashid declares “I am Jafar and Jafar is me!”
And off they go.
About the author:
Siobhan Templeton is a school teacher and children's writer and lives in Oxford. She is preparing a children's book on Jafar the Barmakid.
READ part 1 of the blog here.
About the images in this blog:
The listing image (also embedded in the blog text) is from a Mughal (16th century) manuscript depicting Jafar as a calm, cultured and kind administrator. The image at the top of this page is from Disney's Aladdin (1992) depicting Jafar as the scheming, nasty vizier.
