The Mercy of Allah · Chapter
III: Al-Tawajin, or “The Pipkins” explained
Mahmoud continues his tale, describing how he used his initial capital to monopolize the pipkin trade in a secluded valley, eventually becoming the 'Pipkin King' and selling the entire trade to the state for 500,000 dinars.
What happens
Mahmoud continues his tale, describing how he used his initial capital to monopolize the pipkin trade in a secluded valley, eventually becoming the 'Pipkin King' and selling the entire trade to the state for 500,000 dinars.
Themes in this chapter
Social Inequality and Greed
Mahmoud's manipulation of the pipkin market and his exploitation of the widow and other potters highlight greed and the creation of inequality.
Faith and Resilience
Mahmoud attributes his success to divine guidance and the mercy of Allah, showing resilience in his ventures.
Characters to notice
- Mahmoud
The narrator and protagonist, who recounts his rise to wealth and power through the pipkin monopoly.
- The old man
Mahmoud's uncle, who is telling the story to his nephews.
Key passages
“I began with due caution by investing a couple of thousand dinars in the merchandise of a potter who had recently died and whose widow needed ready cash to satisfy the sacred demands of the dead.”
Mahmoud started his pipkin monopoly by buying out a dead potter's stock from his widow, who needed money for funeral expenses.
This shows Mahmoud's opportunistic beginning in the pipkin trade.
“I approached the king and told him how, all my life, I had nourished the secret belief that a trade necessary to the whole community should not, in justice, be controlled by a private individual, but should rather be the full property of the state.”
Mahmoud convinced the king that the pipkin trade should be nationalized for the public good.
This is the key moment where Mahmoud sells his monopoly to the state for a huge profit.