This paper investigates the generic narrative representation of ruling power in al-Tanūkhī’s (d. 384/993) al-Faraj baʿda l-shidda (Relief after Hardship). It presents functions as well as lexical and narrative motifs often associated with caliphs in the compilation and shows how additional meaning is constructed through subtle variation on those motifs. The generic caliph of the Faraj emerges as a symbol of ruling and potentially coercive power, a perpetual source of trials and deliverance, whose summons are feared and whose wrath and punishment subjects seek to deflect. His power is represented above all through interactions with individuals who displease or appease him; in this respect, it appears analogous to that of other powerful figures, such as kings, governors, administrators, or even violent criminals.