author
Roustam
d. 1845
A kidnapped boy from Tiflis who was sold into slavery in Cairo, he went on to become Napoleon Bonaparte’s famously recognizable Mamluk bodyguard and valet. His life moved from the Caucasus to imperial France, and later into memoir.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Tiflis, now Tbilisi, in 1783 to Armenian parents, Roustam Raza was taken from his family as a child, sold into slavery, and eventually brought to Cairo. There he was trained as a Mamluk before entering the orbit of Napoleon during the French campaign in Egypt.
From 1799 to 1814, he served as Napoleon’s bodyguard and secondary valet, becoming one of the most distinctive figures around the emperor. Dressed in Mamluk costume, he appeared at court and on campaign, and his unusual path into the heart of the French Empire made him a memorable witness to that world.
Roustam later left accounts of his experiences, giving historians a rare personal view of Napoleon’s household. He died in Dourdan, France, on December 7, 1845.