Amina Elbendary
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774167171
- eISBN:
- 9781617976773
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774167171.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Middle East History
During the fifteenth century, the Mamluk sultanate that had ruled Egypt and Syria since 1249–50 faced a series of sustained economic and political challenges to its rule, from the effects of ...
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During the fifteenth century, the Mamluk sultanate that had ruled Egypt and Syria since 1249–50 faced a series of sustained economic and political challenges to its rule, from the effects of recurrent plagues to changes in international trade routes. Both these challenges and the policies and behaviors of rulers and subjects in response to them left profound impressions on Mamluk state and society, precipitating a degree of social mobility and resulting in new forms of cultural expression. These transformations were also reflected in the frequent reports of protests during this period, and led to a greater diffusion of power and the opening up of spaces for political participation by Mamluk subjects and negotiations of power between ruler and ruled. This book places the protests within the framework of long-term transformations, arguing for a more nuanced and comprehensive narrative of Mamluk state and society in late medieval Egypt and Syria. Reports of urban protest and the ways in which alliances between different groups in Mamluk society were forged allow us glimpses into how some medieval Arab societies negotiated power, showing that rather than stoically endure autocratic governments, populations often resisted and renegotiated their positions in response to threats to their interests. This book will appeal to specialists in Mamluk history, Islamic studies, and Arab history, as well as to students and scholars of Middle East politics and government and modern history.Less
During the fifteenth century, the Mamluk sultanate that had ruled Egypt and Syria since 1249–50 faced a series of sustained economic and political challenges to its rule, from the effects of recurrent plagues to changes in international trade routes. Both these challenges and the policies and behaviors of rulers and subjects in response to them left profound impressions on Mamluk state and society, precipitating a degree of social mobility and resulting in new forms of cultural expression. These transformations were also reflected in the frequent reports of protests during this period, and led to a greater diffusion of power and the opening up of spaces for political participation by Mamluk subjects and negotiations of power between ruler and ruled. This book places the protests within the framework of long-term transformations, arguing for a more nuanced and comprehensive narrative of Mamluk state and society in late medieval Egypt and Syria. Reports of urban protest and the ways in which alliances between different groups in Mamluk society were forged allow us glimpses into how some medieval Arab societies negotiated power, showing that rather than stoically endure autocratic governments, populations often resisted and renegotiated their positions in response to threats to their interests. This book will appeal to specialists in Mamluk history, Islamic studies, and Arab history, as well as to students and scholars of Middle East politics and government and modern history.
Amina Elbendary
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774167171
- eISBN:
- 9781617976773
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774167171.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, Middle East History
This book has interpreted the history of late Mamluk Egypt and Syria “from below,” taking into account the historical experiences of the common people, especially the urban non-elites, in elucidating ...
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This book has interpreted the history of late Mamluk Egypt and Syria “from below,” taking into account the historical experiences of the common people, especially the urban non-elites, in elucidating both the social history and political history of the time. It has identified the range of factors that combined to make Mamluk power more diffused in the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It has described the broad transformations that affected the economic structure of the Mamluk sultanate, the Mamluk culture and society, and the relations between rulers and ruled. This chapter offers general conclusions on the transformations that occurred in Egypt and Syria during the fifteenth century and emphasizes the importance of studying urban protest in the premodern period. It shows that protest is very much alive on the streets of various Arab cities, including those of Egypt and Syria.Less
This book has interpreted the history of late Mamluk Egypt and Syria “from below,” taking into account the historical experiences of the common people, especially the urban non-elites, in elucidating both the social history and political history of the time. It has identified the range of factors that combined to make Mamluk power more diffused in the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It has described the broad transformations that affected the economic structure of the Mamluk sultanate, the Mamluk culture and society, and the relations between rulers and ruled. This chapter offers general conclusions on the transformations that occurred in Egypt and Syria during the fifteenth century and emphasizes the importance of studying urban protest in the premodern period. It shows that protest is very much alive on the streets of various Arab cities, including those of Egypt and Syria.
Shihab al-Din Ahmad ibn Idris al-Qarafi al-Maliki
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780300191158
- eISBN:
- 9780300227567
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300191158.001.0001
- Subject:
- Law, Legal History
This book is the first and much-needed English translation of a thirteenth-century text that shaped the development of Islamic law in the late middle ages. Scholars of Islamic law can find few ...
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This book is the first and much-needed English translation of a thirteenth-century text that shaped the development of Islamic law in the late middle ages. Scholars of Islamic law can find few English language translations of foundational Islamic legal texts, particularly from the understudied Mamluk era. This edition addresses this gap, finally making the great Muslim jurist Shihab al-Din al-Qarafi's seminal work available to a wider audience. The book's examination of the distinctions among judicial rulings, which were final and unassailable; legal opinions, which were advisory and not binding; and administrative actions, which were binding but amenable to subsequent revision, remained standard for centuries and are still actively debated today.Less
This book is the first and much-needed English translation of a thirteenth-century text that shaped the development of Islamic law in the late middle ages. Scholars of Islamic law can find few English language translations of foundational Islamic legal texts, particularly from the understudied Mamluk era. This edition addresses this gap, finally making the great Muslim jurist Shihab al-Din al-Qarafi's seminal work available to a wider audience. The book's examination of the distinctions among judicial rulings, which were final and unassailable; legal opinions, which were advisory and not binding; and administrative actions, which were binding but amenable to subsequent revision, remained standard for centuries and are still actively debated today.
Konrad Hirschler
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781474408776
- eISBN:
- 9781474418812
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474408776.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Middle East History
The written text was a pervasive feature of cultural practices in the medieval Middle East. At the heart of book circulation stood libraries that experienced a rapid expansion from the twelfth ...
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The written text was a pervasive feature of cultural practices in the medieval Middle East. At the heart of book circulation stood libraries that experienced a rapid expansion from the twelfth century onwards. While the existence of these libraries is well known our knowledge of their content and structure has been very limited as hardly any medieval Arabic catalogues have been preserved. This book discusses the largest and earliest medieval library of the Middle East for which we have documentation – the Ashrafiya library in the very centre of Damascus – and edits its catalogue. This catalogue shows that even book collections attached to Sunni religious institutions could hold rather unexpected titles, such as stories from the 1001 Nights, manuals for traders, medical handbooks, Shiite prayers, love poetry and texts extolling wine consumption. At the same time this library catalogue decisively expands our knowledge of how the books were spatially organised on the bookshelves of such a large medieval library. With over 2,000 entries this catalogue is essential reading for anybody interested in the cultural and intellectual history of Arabic societies. Setting the Ashrafiya catalogue into a comparative perspective with contemporaneous libraries on the British Isles this book opens new perspectives for the study of medieval libraries.Less
The written text was a pervasive feature of cultural practices in the medieval Middle East. At the heart of book circulation stood libraries that experienced a rapid expansion from the twelfth century onwards. While the existence of these libraries is well known our knowledge of their content and structure has been very limited as hardly any medieval Arabic catalogues have been preserved. This book discusses the largest and earliest medieval library of the Middle East for which we have documentation – the Ashrafiya library in the very centre of Damascus – and edits its catalogue. This catalogue shows that even book collections attached to Sunni religious institutions could hold rather unexpected titles, such as stories from the 1001 Nights, manuals for traders, medical handbooks, Shiite prayers, love poetry and texts extolling wine consumption. At the same time this library catalogue decisively expands our knowledge of how the books were spatially organised on the bookshelves of such a large medieval library. With over 2,000 entries this catalogue is essential reading for anybody interested in the cultural and intellectual history of Arabic societies. Setting the Ashrafiya catalogue into a comparative perspective with contemporaneous libraries on the British Isles this book opens new perspectives for the study of medieval libraries.
Konrad Hirschler
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781474408776
- eISBN:
- 9781474418812
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474408776.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, Middle East History
The diplomatic edition of the catalogue’s unique manuscript aims at representing to some extent its organisation and the edition thus includes information such as line breaks and the various rubrics ...
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The diplomatic edition of the catalogue’s unique manuscript aims at representing to some extent its organisation and the edition thus includes information such as line breaks and the various rubrics that the scribe used. For the sake of legibility, the orthography has been standardised to bring it into a form familiar to modern readers. The text is thus reproduced with full diacritical marks, although they are rather rarely used in the manuscript. The organisation of the catalogue according to alphabet, size and themes is indicated by the catalogue’s writer in display script and indicated in the edition by setting these structural terms in bold.Less
The diplomatic edition of the catalogue’s unique manuscript aims at representing to some extent its organisation and the edition thus includes information such as line breaks and the various rubrics that the scribe used. For the sake of legibility, the orthography has been standardised to bring it into a form familiar to modern readers. The text is thus reproduced with full diacritical marks, although they are rather rarely used in the manuscript. The organisation of the catalogue according to alphabet, size and themes is indicated by the catalogue’s writer in display script and indicated in the edition by setting these structural terms in bold.
Kishwar Rizvi
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9781469621166
- eISBN:
- 9781469624952
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/northcarolina/9781469621166.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
The United Arab Emirates, the focus of the fourth chapter, provides an important contrast and counterpoint to the other examples. Established in 1971, the federation of seven emirates needed to ...
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The United Arab Emirates, the focus of the fourth chapter, provides an important contrast and counterpoint to the other examples. Established in 1971, the federation of seven emirates needed to create its national identity through a different set of paradigms than those at hand for their older neighbors. In the early years of the UAE’s existence, British and Egyptian firms played an important role in setting up institutions and government bureaucracies. The Egyptian connection also provided an intellectual armature through its deep history of Arab Islamic monarchial rule, from the Fatimids to the Mamluks. The first monumental national mosque was the Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai, built by a Cairene firm and completed in 1998. Almost a decade later, the majestic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was completed in the capital, Abu Dhabi. Both mosques also serve as cultural centers aimed at non-Muslim expatriates and tourists. Like the other powerful nations studied in this book, the UAE aims to increase its influence abroad through the sponsorship of ideologically powerful projects, such as the Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan Mosque in Jerusalem.Less
The United Arab Emirates, the focus of the fourth chapter, provides an important contrast and counterpoint to the other examples. Established in 1971, the federation of seven emirates needed to create its national identity through a different set of paradigms than those at hand for their older neighbors. In the early years of the UAE’s existence, British and Egyptian firms played an important role in setting up institutions and government bureaucracies. The Egyptian connection also provided an intellectual armature through its deep history of Arab Islamic monarchial rule, from the Fatimids to the Mamluks. The first monumental national mosque was the Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai, built by a Cairene firm and completed in 1998. Almost a decade later, the majestic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was completed in the capital, Abu Dhabi. Both mosques also serve as cultural centers aimed at non-Muslim expatriates and tourists. Like the other powerful nations studied in this book, the UAE aims to increase its influence abroad through the sponsorship of ideologically powerful projects, such as the Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan Mosque in Jerusalem.
Kristen Stilt
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199602438
- eISBN:
- 9780191729348
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199602438.001.0001
- Subject:
- Law, Legal History
A dynamic account of the practice of Islamic law, this book focuses on the actions of a particular legal official, the muhtasib, whose vast jurisdiction included all public behavior. In the cities of ...
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A dynamic account of the practice of Islamic law, this book focuses on the actions of a particular legal official, the muhtasib, whose vast jurisdiction included all public behavior. In the cities of Cairo and neighboring Fustat during the Mamluk period (1250-1517), the men who held the position of muhtasib acted as regulators of markets and public spaces generally. They traversed their jurisdictions carrying out the duty to command right and forbid wrong, and were as much a part of the legal landscape as the better-known figures of judge and mufti. Taking directions from the rulers, the sultan foremost among them, they were also guided by legal doctrine as formulated by the jurists, combining these two sources of law in one face of authority. The daily workings of the law are illuminated by the reports of the muhtasib in the vivid Mamluk-era chronicles, which often also captured the responses of the individuals who encountered the official. The book is organized around actions taken by the muhtasib in the areas of Muslim devotional and pious practices; crimes and offenses; the management of Christians and Jews; market regulation and consumer protection; the specific markets for essential bread; currency and taxes; and public order. The case studies presented show that while legal doctrine was clearly relevant to the muhtasib’s actions, the policy demands of the sultan were also quite significant, and rules from both sources of authority intersected with social, political, economic, and personal factors to create full and vibrant scenarios that reveal the practice of Islamic law.Less
A dynamic account of the practice of Islamic law, this book focuses on the actions of a particular legal official, the muhtasib, whose vast jurisdiction included all public behavior. In the cities of Cairo and neighboring Fustat during the Mamluk period (1250-1517), the men who held the position of muhtasib acted as regulators of markets and public spaces generally. They traversed their jurisdictions carrying out the duty to command right and forbid wrong, and were as much a part of the legal landscape as the better-known figures of judge and mufti. Taking directions from the rulers, the sultan foremost among them, they were also guided by legal doctrine as formulated by the jurists, combining these two sources of law in one face of authority. The daily workings of the law are illuminated by the reports of the muhtasib in the vivid Mamluk-era chronicles, which often also captured the responses of the individuals who encountered the official. The book is organized around actions taken by the muhtasib in the areas of Muslim devotional and pious practices; crimes and offenses; the management of Christians and Jews; market regulation and consumer protection; the specific markets for essential bread; currency and taxes; and public order. The case studies presented show that while legal doctrine was clearly relevant to the muhtasib’s actions, the policy demands of the sultan were also quite significant, and rules from both sources of authority intersected with social, political, economic, and personal factors to create full and vibrant scenarios that reveal the practice of Islamic law.
Stilt Talar
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199602438
- eISBN:
- 9780191729348
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199602438.003.0002
- Subject:
- Law, Legal History
This chapter provides background information on the Mamluk sultanate and its legal system. It presents Cairo and its adjacent older city of Fustat, the two cities that form the sites of the events ...
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This chapter provides background information on the Mamluk sultanate and its legal system. It presents Cairo and its adjacent older city of Fustat, the two cities that form the sites of the events discussed in chapters 3-9, and provides maps. It overviews the kinds of people who inhabited the cities, including the Mamluk ruling elite and their soldiers, the merchants, the jurists and learned scholars more generally, and the remaining large category of the common people. The chapter then describes the sultanate’s agricultural economy. Then, turning to the topic of Islamic legal history, it introduces the concept of Islamic law and describes its development, including the penalties and punishments, and then discusses the two types of authority, the doctrinal, fiqh-based authority of the jurists and the policy, siyasa-based authority of the sultan. Finally, it presents the institutions through which the jurists and the sultan expressed their authority, including the courts and the sultan’s forum of wrongs.Less
This chapter provides background information on the Mamluk sultanate and its legal system. It presents Cairo and its adjacent older city of Fustat, the two cities that form the sites of the events discussed in chapters 3-9, and provides maps. It overviews the kinds of people who inhabited the cities, including the Mamluk ruling elite and their soldiers, the merchants, the jurists and learned scholars more generally, and the remaining large category of the common people. The chapter then describes the sultanate’s agricultural economy. Then, turning to the topic of Islamic legal history, it introduces the concept of Islamic law and describes its development, including the penalties and punishments, and then discusses the two types of authority, the doctrinal, fiqh-based authority of the jurists and the policy, siyasa-based authority of the sultan. Finally, it presents the institutions through which the jurists and the sultan expressed their authority, including the courts and the sultan’s forum of wrongs.
Amina Elbendary
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774167171
- eISBN:
- 9781617976773
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774167171.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, Middle East History
This book examines the economic, social, and political transformations that confronted the Mamluk sultanate over the fifteenth century, along with their impact on the Egyptian and Syrian societies. ...
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This book examines the economic, social, and political transformations that confronted the Mamluk sultanate over the fifteenth century, along with their impact on the Egyptian and Syrian societies. It argues that the multiple crises were simultaneously the outward manifestations of deeper changes and shows how they presented opportunities for various political and social groups. It also considers how the crises and political transformations led to changes and were themselves the outcome of changes in all of the domestic, regional, and international balances of power. Rather than narrate the history of this tumultuous fifteenth century solely from the point of view of the ruling dynasties, the book takes into account the perspectives of the common people, especially the urban non-elites. It considers how the transformations that rocked the Mamluk dynasty affected issues such as social mobility and concludes by discussing the development of the bourgeois trend as well as the various instances and reports of popular protest during the period.Less
This book examines the economic, social, and political transformations that confronted the Mamluk sultanate over the fifteenth century, along with their impact on the Egyptian and Syrian societies. It argues that the multiple crises were simultaneously the outward manifestations of deeper changes and shows how they presented opportunities for various political and social groups. It also considers how the crises and political transformations led to changes and were themselves the outcome of changes in all of the domestic, regional, and international balances of power. Rather than narrate the history of this tumultuous fifteenth century solely from the point of view of the ruling dynasties, the book takes into account the perspectives of the common people, especially the urban non-elites. It considers how the transformations that rocked the Mamluk dynasty affected issues such as social mobility and concludes by discussing the development of the bourgeois trend as well as the various instances and reports of popular protest during the period.
Amina Elbendary
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774167171
- eISBN:
- 9781617976773
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774167171.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, Middle East History
This chapter examines the transformations in the state structure and organization of power that occurred in Egypt and Syria in the late Mamluk period. It considers the various economic and political ...
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This chapter examines the transformations in the state structure and organization of power that occurred in Egypt and Syria in the late Mamluk period. It considers the various economic and political challenges that the Mamluk sultanate faced and the ways that the rulers dealt with them, including the recurrent waves of plague, gold shortage, and currency devaluation. It shows that the responses of the Mamluk sultans to these economic crises and challenges resulted in long-term transformations that changed the nature of the state and of the Mamluk institutions. Many of these responses have been viewed as deviations from the proper norm of rule and governance, as signs of the corruption and greed of the amirs and administrators, and as causes for the “decline” of the Mamluk state. In particular, the chapter looks at the policies adopted by Mamluk sultans and the Mamluk administration to address the economic challenges, such as trade monopolies and additional taxation.Less
This chapter examines the transformations in the state structure and organization of power that occurred in Egypt and Syria in the late Mamluk period. It considers the various economic and political challenges that the Mamluk sultanate faced and the ways that the rulers dealt with them, including the recurrent waves of plague, gold shortage, and currency devaluation. It shows that the responses of the Mamluk sultans to these economic crises and challenges resulted in long-term transformations that changed the nature of the state and of the Mamluk institutions. Many of these responses have been viewed as deviations from the proper norm of rule and governance, as signs of the corruption and greed of the amirs and administrators, and as causes for the “decline” of the Mamluk state. In particular, the chapter looks at the policies adopted by Mamluk sultans and the Mamluk administration to address the economic challenges, such as trade monopolies and additional taxation.
Amina Elbendary
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774167171
- eISBN:
- 9781617976773
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774167171.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, Middle East History
This chapter examines the social transformations that arose in the Mamluk sultanate during the fifteenth century that allowed room for social mobility. It begins with a discussion of population and ...
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This chapter examines the social transformations that arose in the Mamluk sultanate during the fifteenth century that allowed room for social mobility. It begins with a discussion of population and demographic changes across the landscape of Egypt in particular, and to some extent Syria. It then considers the rise of the Bedouins and Bedouinization during the Mamluk period, with particular emphasis on the Bedouin tribes' increasing authority in many areas of the countryside and their impact on both peasant communities and urban life. It also explores the move of different racial groups from the peripheries of society closer to the core, including the habashis. Finally, it explores other social changes during the period, such as the emergence of a new landowning class and a new type of social integration, the spread of Islam, and an increase in social mobility. The chapter shows that all of these changes caused social anxiety and tension throughout the Mamluk sultanate, acutely reflected in frequent protests, especially on the streets of important cities.Less
This chapter examines the social transformations that arose in the Mamluk sultanate during the fifteenth century that allowed room for social mobility. It begins with a discussion of population and demographic changes across the landscape of Egypt in particular, and to some extent Syria. It then considers the rise of the Bedouins and Bedouinization during the Mamluk period, with particular emphasis on the Bedouin tribes' increasing authority in many areas of the countryside and their impact on both peasant communities and urban life. It also explores the move of different racial groups from the peripheries of society closer to the core, including the habashis. Finally, it explores other social changes during the period, such as the emergence of a new landowning class and a new type of social integration, the spread of Islam, and an increase in social mobility. The chapter shows that all of these changes caused social anxiety and tension throughout the Mamluk sultanate, acutely reflected in frequent protests, especially on the streets of important cities.
Mark N. Swanson
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789774160936
- eISBN:
- 9781617970498
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774160936.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
The last patriarch of the period, John XIII, was repeatedly pressed for funds in order to finance the wars of Sultan Qaitbay and his successors against the Ottomans (from 1484) and the Portuguese. ...
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The last patriarch of the period, John XIII, was repeatedly pressed for funds in order to finance the wars of Sultan Qaitbay and his successors against the Ottomans (from 1484) and the Portuguese. Those wars would be in vain. The patriarch's humility is a recurring theme: not humility wrapped in signs and wonders but humility of a tough, practical sort well suited to the times. Christians were not specially singled out by Mamluk revenue collectors, any more than they were singled out by the effects of insufficient Nile flooding and famine or outbreaks of plague. The constant pressure on the Coptic elite meant ongoing conversions to Islam and, for the Coptic community as a whole, the loss of prominent members and their wealth.Less
The last patriarch of the period, John XIII, was repeatedly pressed for funds in order to finance the wars of Sultan Qaitbay and his successors against the Ottomans (from 1484) and the Portuguese. Those wars would be in vain. The patriarch's humility is a recurring theme: not humility wrapped in signs and wonders but humility of a tough, practical sort well suited to the times. Christians were not specially singled out by Mamluk revenue collectors, any more than they were singled out by the effects of insufficient Nile flooding and famine or outbreaks of plague. The constant pressure on the Coptic elite meant ongoing conversions to Islam and, for the Coptic community as a whole, the loss of prominent members and their wealth.
Kay Prag
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- September 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780197266427
- eISBN:
- 9780191884252
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197266427.003.0005
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
Personal knowledge of three archaeological sites in different contexts in Jerusalem offered a rare opportunity for an overview of life in the city during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. This has ...
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Personal knowledge of three archaeological sites in different contexts in Jerusalem offered a rare opportunity for an overview of life in the city during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. This has permitted a study of intra-site variation, hinting at different communities and their lifestyles. In particular, aspects of craft and trading activities illustrate the economy of the city. The importation of luxury ceramics from Italy and from Syria, and a suggestion of a role in the important silk trade between East and West, illustrate part of a trading network in which pilgrimage to Jerusalem played a significant role. Local commodities, health and the processing and consumption of food also illustrate living standards in a city where there was considerable poverty.Less
Personal knowledge of three archaeological sites in different contexts in Jerusalem offered a rare opportunity for an overview of life in the city during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. This has permitted a study of intra-site variation, hinting at different communities and their lifestyles. In particular, aspects of craft and trading activities illustrate the economy of the city. The importation of luxury ceramics from Italy and from Syria, and a suggestion of a role in the important silk trade between East and West, illustrate part of a trading network in which pilgrimage to Jerusalem played a significant role. Local commodities, health and the processing and consumption of food also illustrate living standards in a city where there was considerable poverty.
Dina Ishak Bakhoum (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9789774163937
- eISBN:
- 9781617970924
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774163937.003.0009
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
This chapter introduces the waqf system and its relation to maintenance and repair activities from a historical perspective, using specific examples from the Mamluk period (1250–1517). It alludes ...
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This chapter introduces the waqf system and its relation to maintenance and repair activities from a historical perspective, using specific examples from the Mamluk period (1250–1517). It alludes briefly to the conflict between the Ministry of Endowments and the Supreme Council of Antiquities with regard to waqf properties, especially those buildings that are registered as historic monuments. It emphasizes the benefits to be gained by scholars and restoration-conservation specialists from the study of waqf documents and guiding principles. More specifically, it highlights the beneficial and valuable ideas that inhere in the traditional system and which can be useful for the protection of the built heritage. It also attempts to demonstrate that the fundamental principles of the waqf system with regard to maintenance and protection of property are in line with many of the current conservation protection laws of the built heritage.Less
This chapter introduces the waqf system and its relation to maintenance and repair activities from a historical perspective, using specific examples from the Mamluk period (1250–1517). It alludes briefly to the conflict between the Ministry of Endowments and the Supreme Council of Antiquities with regard to waqf properties, especially those buildings that are registered as historic monuments. It emphasizes the benefits to be gained by scholars and restoration-conservation specialists from the study of waqf documents and guiding principles. More specifically, it highlights the beneficial and valuable ideas that inhere in the traditional system and which can be useful for the protection of the built heritage. It also attempts to demonstrate that the fundamental principles of the waqf system with regard to maintenance and protection of property are in line with many of the current conservation protection laws of the built heritage.
Tarek Galal Abdel-Hamid
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789774162442
- eISBN:
- 9781617970115
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774162442.003.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
The citadel of Cairo is a monument that has been studied extensively by many scholars, especially for the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. In 569/1174 Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, founder of the Ayyubid ...
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The citadel of Cairo is a monument that has been studied extensively by many scholars, especially for the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. In 569/1174 Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, ordered one of his ablest amirs, Qaraqush, to start building the citadel between the two cities of al-Qahira and Misr al-Fustat. The citadel of Cairo is divided into two sections: a northern and a southern one. The towers of Salah al-Din were semicircular towers with a rectangular rear wall projection. The radical change in military architecture in the late twelfth-thirteenth centuries has been recorded by several authors. Taking the citadel of Cairo as a prototype for investigating the reasons behind the shift of Islamic military architecture in the thirteenth century allows us to propose an alternative hypothesis of what may have initiated that shift.Less
The citadel of Cairo is a monument that has been studied extensively by many scholars, especially for the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. In 569/1174 Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, ordered one of his ablest amirs, Qaraqush, to start building the citadel between the two cities of al-Qahira and Misr al-Fustat. The citadel of Cairo is divided into two sections: a northern and a southern one. The towers of Salah al-Din were semicircular towers with a rectangular rear wall projection. The radical change in military architecture in the late twelfth-thirteenth centuries has been recorded by several authors. Taking the citadel of Cairo as a prototype for investigating the reasons behind the shift of Islamic military architecture in the thirteenth century allows us to propose an alternative hypothesis of what may have initiated that shift.
Jill Kamil
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789774160615
- eISBN:
- 9781617970184
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774160615.003.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
Tracing the role of the Egyptians in the study of Egyptology requires an insight into the political and social forces that forged modern Egypt. Like Alexander the Great, who presented himself as ...
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Tracing the role of the Egyptians in the study of Egyptology requires an insight into the political and social forces that forged modern Egypt. Like Alexander the Great, who presented himself as Egypt's liberator from Persian rule, Napoleon Bonaparte, is said to have unchained the opening to Egypt's past. French rule is considered to be one of the most significant contributions of France to Egypt's development. Unfortunately, the period of French rule ended early thanks to the British fleet under Lord Nelson which arrived off the Egyptian coast in 1801 and sank the French fleet at anchor in Abukir Bay. In spite of their short rule, French influence had a lasting effect on Egypt and its development of national identity. Furthermore, Muhammad Ali, an Ottoman officer, set out to modernize the country by introducing European technology and he crushed rival Ottoman and Mamluk commanders.Less
Tracing the role of the Egyptians in the study of Egyptology requires an insight into the political and social forces that forged modern Egypt. Like Alexander the Great, who presented himself as Egypt's liberator from Persian rule, Napoleon Bonaparte, is said to have unchained the opening to Egypt's past. French rule is considered to be one of the most significant contributions of France to Egypt's development. Unfortunately, the period of French rule ended early thanks to the British fleet under Lord Nelson which arrived off the Egyptian coast in 1801 and sank the French fleet at anchor in Abukir Bay. In spite of their short rule, French influence had a lasting effect on Egypt and its development of national identity. Furthermore, Muhammad Ali, an Ottoman officer, set out to modernize the country by introducing European technology and he crushed rival Ottoman and Mamluk commanders.
Fromherz Allen James
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748639342
- eISBN:
- 9780748653201
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748639342.003.0004
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
This chapter discusses Ibn Khaldn's life in Egypt. Impressed by the splendour of Egypt, Ibn Khaldun settled in Cairo for the rest of his life. Although he chose to spend the rest of his life in ...
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This chapter discusses Ibn Khaldn's life in Egypt. Impressed by the splendour of Egypt, Ibn Khaldun settled in Cairo for the rest of his life. Although he chose to spend the rest of his life in Egypt, he maintained his Maghribi identity and affiliation with the North African Maliki school of Islam. Unlike other immigrants from North Africa who changed their dress, Ibn Khaldun remained true to his roots by continually wearing the judicial robes of a North African. His non-conformity made him standout which led to his promotion. While his skills as a negotiator between the tribe and the city served him in the past, his identity as a Maghbiri led him to become a valuable member of the Mamluk court and judicial system. The first section discusses his rise as a teacher and his promotion as a Maliki Qadi. The second section focuses on his pilgrimage following the death of his family and his signing of a fatwa and betrayal of the sultan on the advent of the Al-Nasiri rebellion. The third section discusses his demotion and isolation from the Mamluk court. Although he tried to regain the sultan's patronage, it was only a few months before the death of the sultan that he was installed again as a Maliki Qadi. The fourth section focuses on Ibn Khaldun's encounter with the conqueror Tamerlane while the last section discusses Ibn Khaldun's disillusionment and death.Less
This chapter discusses Ibn Khaldn's life in Egypt. Impressed by the splendour of Egypt, Ibn Khaldun settled in Cairo for the rest of his life. Although he chose to spend the rest of his life in Egypt, he maintained his Maghribi identity and affiliation with the North African Maliki school of Islam. Unlike other immigrants from North Africa who changed their dress, Ibn Khaldun remained true to his roots by continually wearing the judicial robes of a North African. His non-conformity made him standout which led to his promotion. While his skills as a negotiator between the tribe and the city served him in the past, his identity as a Maghbiri led him to become a valuable member of the Mamluk court and judicial system. The first section discusses his rise as a teacher and his promotion as a Maliki Qadi. The second section focuses on his pilgrimage following the death of his family and his signing of a fatwa and betrayal of the sultan on the advent of the Al-Nasiri rebellion. The third section discusses his demotion and isolation from the Mamluk court. Although he tried to regain the sultan's patronage, it was only a few months before the death of the sultan that he was installed again as a Maliki Qadi. The fourth section focuses on Ibn Khaldun's encounter with the conqueror Tamerlane while the last section discusses Ibn Khaldun's disillusionment and death.
Amina Elbendary
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774167171
- eISBN:
- 9781617976773
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774167171.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, Middle East History
This chapter focuses on the popularization of literature and historiography and the development of the bourgeois trend during the Mamluk period. It first considers the factors behind the ...
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This chapter focuses on the popularization of literature and historiography and the development of the bourgeois trend during the Mamluk period. It first considers the factors behind the popularization of culture and cultural production in the Mamluk sultanate before discussing the collective experiences of urban dwellers and their cultural manifestations, along with the link between social mobility and the bourgeois trend. It then examines changes in Mamluk culture, the rise of new types of patronage and new audiences for popular poetry, the spread of literacy, the emergence of middling classes and of new audiences for written literature, and the increased importance of Sufism. It also describes various manifestations of popularization in written cultural and literary production and compares the Egyptian and Syrian schools of medieval historiography. Finally, it looks at the so-called “civic interest” that connects many of the late Mamluk and early Ottoman historical writings.Less
This chapter focuses on the popularization of literature and historiography and the development of the bourgeois trend during the Mamluk period. It first considers the factors behind the popularization of culture and cultural production in the Mamluk sultanate before discussing the collective experiences of urban dwellers and their cultural manifestations, along with the link between social mobility and the bourgeois trend. It then examines changes in Mamluk culture, the rise of new types of patronage and new audiences for popular poetry, the spread of literacy, the emergence of middling classes and of new audiences for written literature, and the increased importance of Sufism. It also describes various manifestations of popularization in written cultural and literary production and compares the Egyptian and Syrian schools of medieval historiography. Finally, it looks at the so-called “civic interest” that connects many of the late Mamluk and early Ottoman historical writings.
Amina Elbendary
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774167171
- eISBN:
- 9781617976773
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774167171.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, Middle East History
This chapter considers popular protest as a reflection of how the late medieval societies of Egypt and Syria, especially in their urban centers, imagined the ideal social order. It shows how protest ...
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This chapter considers popular protest as a reflection of how the late medieval societies of Egypt and Syria, especially in their urban centers, imagined the ideal social order. It shows how protest was at times manipulated and channeled by those in power, to allow for vents that would relieve social pressure. The fact that this kind of maneuvering was quite common during the late Mamluk period highlights the delicate balances both rulers and ruled were negotiating. The chapter first examines protests as attempts to preserve an established social order, traditions, and customary privileges in the face of profound social changes and transformations. It then discusses restrictions on non-Muslims and sectarian violence during the period, the role of the state in encouraging and manipulating urban protest, and the use of prayer, satire, and parody in protest. It also explores protests by peasants and the involvement of the Mamluk underworld, or zuʻar, in protests.Less
This chapter considers popular protest as a reflection of how the late medieval societies of Egypt and Syria, especially in their urban centers, imagined the ideal social order. It shows how protest was at times manipulated and channeled by those in power, to allow for vents that would relieve social pressure. The fact that this kind of maneuvering was quite common during the late Mamluk period highlights the delicate balances both rulers and ruled were negotiating. The chapter first examines protests as attempts to preserve an established social order, traditions, and customary privileges in the face of profound social changes and transformations. It then discusses restrictions on non-Muslims and sectarian violence during the period, the role of the state in encouraging and manipulating urban protest, and the use of prayer, satire, and parody in protest. It also explores protests by peasants and the involvement of the Mamluk underworld, or zuʻar, in protests.
Reuven Amitai
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300109009
- eISBN:
- 9780300134858
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300109009.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, Military History
From the early ninth century to the first decades of the nineteenth, military slavery was typically the primary form of military organization in regions such as Egypt, India, and the edges of Central ...
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From the early ninth century to the first decades of the nineteenth, military slavery was typically the primary form of military organization in regions such as Egypt, India, and the edges of Central Asia. Military slaves—also called ghulāms or mamlūks—were often the predominant element of a Muslim army and occasionally exploited their prowess and importance to achieve political influence. This chapter examines the origins of military slavery in the Islamic world and its eventual disappearance within the framework of general histories of medieval and early modern Islam. In particular, it looks at the role often played by military slaves, mostly Turks, in the history of the Middle East spanning some 1,000 years. It also considers the origins of the institution in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate of the early ninth century as well as the so-called Mamlūk Sultanate that ruled Egypt and Syria from the mid-thirteenth century until the time of the Ottoman Empire in 1516–1517.Less
From the early ninth century to the first decades of the nineteenth, military slavery was typically the primary form of military organization in regions such as Egypt, India, and the edges of Central Asia. Military slaves—also called ghulāms or mamlūks—were often the predominant element of a Muslim army and occasionally exploited their prowess and importance to achieve political influence. This chapter examines the origins of military slavery in the Islamic world and its eventual disappearance within the framework of general histories of medieval and early modern Islam. In particular, it looks at the role often played by military slaves, mostly Turks, in the history of the Middle East spanning some 1,000 years. It also considers the origins of the institution in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate of the early ninth century as well as the so-called Mamlūk Sultanate that ruled Egypt and Syria from the mid-thirteenth century until the time of the Ottoman Empire in 1516–1517.
