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.
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.
Jordan Sand
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780520275669
- eISBN:
- 9780520956988
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520275669.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
Chapter 2 focuses on a turning point in perceptions of public space in Tokyo: the occupation of Shinjuku Station by anti–Vietnam War protesters in the summer of 1969. The protesters sought to ...
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Chapter 2 focuses on a turning point in perceptions of public space in Tokyo: the occupation of Shinjuku Station by anti–Vietnam War protesters in the summer of 1969. The protesters sought to transform the exit plaza at one of the busiest commuter hubs in the world into a place of encounter and free political engagement among citizens. When riot police cleared the station, it became clear that the possibilities for spontaneous use of public space were circumscribed by the needs of an emerging postindustrial capitalist system. Activists and theorists of the city turned toward localism and the legacies of the past in search of new sources of identity for urban citizenship.Less
Chapter 2 focuses on a turning point in perceptions of public space in Tokyo: the occupation of Shinjuku Station by anti–Vietnam War protesters in the summer of 1969. The protesters sought to transform the exit plaza at one of the busiest commuter hubs in the world into a place of encounter and free political engagement among citizens. When riot police cleared the station, it became clear that the possibilities for spontaneous use of public space were circumscribed by the needs of an emerging postindustrial capitalist system. Activists and theorists of the city turned toward localism and the legacies of the past in search of new sources of identity for urban citizenship.
Elizabeth J. Perry
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780804756198
- eISBN:
- 9780804768436
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804756198.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
This chapter argues that social networks were the building blocks of collective action in Shanghai. It investigates the changing role of social networks and collective identities during China's most ...
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This chapter argues that social networks were the building blocks of collective action in Shanghai. It investigates the changing role of social networks and collective identities during China's most dynamic period of urban protest (1919–1927) in Shanghai. The Shanghai case shows the salience of networks for mobilization and demobilization. The activity of the May Fourth organization presented a serious challenge to government control. It is seen as the beginning of modern Chinese nationalism. Political parties were the major players in the May Thirtieth Movement but over time the determining effect of particular individuals became increasingly clear. May Thirtieth departed from May Fourth in the prominent involvement of political parties and the more strident calls for fundamental political reform. The political history of 1920s Shanghai is largely the story of how the two major parties attempted to transcend their alien origins by adapting to the realities of Chinese society.Less
This chapter argues that social networks were the building blocks of collective action in Shanghai. It investigates the changing role of social networks and collective identities during China's most dynamic period of urban protest (1919–1927) in Shanghai. The Shanghai case shows the salience of networks for mobilization and demobilization. The activity of the May Fourth organization presented a serious challenge to government control. It is seen as the beginning of modern Chinese nationalism. Political parties were the major players in the May Thirtieth Movement but over time the determining effect of particular individuals became increasingly clear. May Thirtieth departed from May Fourth in the prominent involvement of political parties and the more strident calls for fundamental political reform. The political history of 1920s Shanghai is largely the story of how the two major parties attempted to transcend their alien origins by adapting to the realities of Chinese society.
