Al-jahbadh

Definition of "Al-jahbadh"

Financial administrator in the ‘Abbasid period (AD 750–945) responsible for maintaining prescribed standards of fineness and quality of gold content and equivalence of various currencies. He used to be the head of a department called diwan al-jahbadhah. He acted like an authorized banker to collect state revenues. He used to prepare and submit periodical statements to the government. Usually the jahbadh was a commercial magnate (tajir) who owned capital of his own and was able to advance money to the government when the treasury needed it. In some cases, the sahib bait al-mal and jahbadh were one and the same person.