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Sultan Baybars' decision to appoint four Chief
Qādīs
, one from each of the Sunni schools of law, has long been recognized as a turning point in the history of the
madhhabs.
To date, historians have explained this decision only in political or ideological terms, paying little attention to its implications for the judicial system. Here I argue that the purpose of the new quadruple structure of the judiciary was two-fold: to create a uniform but at the same time flexible legal system. The need for predictable and stable legal rules was addressed by limiting
qādīs'
discretion and promoting
taqlīd
, i.e., adherence to established school doctrine. The establishment of Chief
Qādīs
from the four schools of law, on the other hand, allowed for flexibility and prevented the legal system from becoming too rigid. The quadruple judiciary enabled litigants, regardless of personal school affiliation, to choose from the doctrines of the four schools.