In a lucidly argued revisionist study of military society in Ottoman Egypt, Jane Hathaway contends that the basic framework within which this elite operated was the household, a conglomerate of patron-client ties. Using Turkish and Arabic archival sources, the author focuses on the Qazdagli household, a military group that came to dominate Egypt. This pioneering study will have a major impact on the understanding of Egyptian history, and will be essential reading for scholars in the field, and for premodern historians generally.
In a lucidly argued revisionist study of military society in Ottoman Egypt, Jane Hathaway contends that the basic framework within which this elite op...
The study of early Islamic history has flourished in recent years. Chase Robinson's book takes full account of the latest research, interweaving history and historiography to interpret the political, social, and economic transformations in the Mesopotamian region after the Islamic conquests. Using Arabic and Syriac sources, the author focuses on the Muslim and Christian elites, demonstrating that significant social change took place only at the end of the seventh century. This is a sophisticated study at the cutting-edge of a burgeoning field in Islamic studies.
The study of early Islamic history has flourished in recent years. Chase Robinson's book takes full account of the latest research, interweaving histo...
This comparative and broad-ranging book spans three centuries of Ottoman history. It offers a new interpretation of the relations between the central Ottoman empire and provincial Iraqi society in the early modern period, and demonstrates that, contrary to the accepted view, their military, fiscal and political links strenghtened rather than weakened over the period. The book will be of interest to historians of the Middle East and to Ottomanists, as well as to political scientists and those concerned with the process of state formation.
This comparative and broad-ranging book spans three centuries of Ottoman history. It offers a new interpretation of the relations between the central ...
By analyzing a wide range of Arab and Persian literature, Louise Marlow demonstrates that Islam's initial orientation was markedly egalitarian, but the social aspect of this egalitarianism was soon undermined in the aftermath of Islam's political success. Although the memory of its early promise never entirely receded, social egalitarianism was soon associated with political subversion. The originality and chronological scope of Louise Marlow's book will ensure a wide readership of Islamic historians and of scholars assessing the impact of the recent Islamic revival.
By analyzing a wide range of Arab and Persian literature, Louise Marlow demonstrates that Islam's initial orientation was markedly egalitarian, but th...
For over half a millennium the Mamluks wielded power over Egypt. During this time they formed a remarkable political, military and economic elite, ruling as sovereigns from 1250 to 1517 and, after the Ottoman conquest, regaining much of their former influence under Turkish supremacy. In this collection of essays, some of the most distinguished scholars in the field provide an accessible introduction to the structure of political power under the Mamluks and its economic foundations. The essays also offer a unique insight into the Mamluk households and their relationship with the indigenous...
For over half a millennium the Mamluks wielded power over Egypt. During this time they formed a remarkable political, military and economic elite, rul...
Sperl's study questions whether mannerism and classicism can be applied to the analysis of Arabic poetry. While mannerism in Arabic literature has traditionally been associated with an excessive use of rhetorical devices and illustrated with reference to poetic fragments and extracts, Sperl approaches the question through a structuralist examination of poems as a whole. The texts selected range from the 9th to the 11th centuries AD and are drawn from the works of Abu l-Atahiya, Buhturi, Mihyar al-Daylami and Maarri. The poems which are studied in detail in successive chapters exhibit profound...
Sperl's study questions whether mannerism and classicism can be applied to the analysis of Arabic poetry. While mannerism in Arabic literature has tra...
This study describes and explains the revolutionary changes which transformed the agricultural life of the Islamicized world in the four centuries following the early Arab conquests.
This study describes and explains the revolutionary changes which transformed the agricultural life of the Islamicized world in the four centuries fol...
Premodern Arabic biography has served as a major source for the history of Islamic civilization. In the first book-length study to explore the origins and development of classical Arabic biography, Michael Cooperson demonstrates how Muslim scholars used the notions of heirship and transmission to document the activities of political, scholarly and religious communities. The author also explains how medieval Arab scholars used biography to reconstruct the life stories of important historical figures. He then examines the careers of four of these figures, analyzing their relationships and their...
Premodern Arabic biography has served as a major source for the history of Islamic civilization. In the first book-length study to explore the origins...
In Muslim Tradition G. H. A. Juynboll undertakes a broad-ranging review of the closely linked questions of date, authorship and origin of hadiths, i.e. the traditions of the prophet. Hadiths, which record the sayings and deeds of the prophet Muhammad, are central to Islamic teaching and beliefs and command a respect in the Islamic world second only to the Qur'an. The question of when, how and where particular hadiths came into existence is basic to the understanding of the formative period of Islam. This statement of a sceptical position, which can be visualized as located between, on the one...
In Muslim Tradition G. H. A. Juynboll undertakes a broad-ranging review of the closely linked questions of date, authorship and origin of hadiths, i.e...