The Mamluks In Egyptian And Syrian Politics And Society

In this book, distinguished scholars provide an accessible introduction to the structure of political power under the Mamluks and its economic foundations.

This volume is a collection of studies by leading historians on central aspects of the Mamluk Empire of Egypt and Syria (1250-1517), and of Ottoman Egypt (16th-18th century) where the Mamluks survived under the Ottoman suzerainty.

In this volume, twelve essays by leading scholars of Mamluk history provide an informative reading and insightful analysis of the political, social and economic systems of Egypt and Syria under Mamluk rule (125-1517).

This volume is dedicated to the circulation of the book as a commodity in the Mamluk sultanate. It discusses the impact of princely patronage on the production of books, the formation and management of libraries in religious institutions, their size and their physical setting.

Mamluk Cairo, a Crossroads for Embassies gathers twenty-eight essays that offer the most up-to-date insight into the diplomacy and diplomatics of the Mamluk sultanate with Muslim and non-Muslim powers.

Winslow Williams Clifford ist einer der wenigen Historiker, die sich bisher auf der Basis von theoretischen Ansätzen der Geschichte und Kultur des sogenannten Mamlukensultanates (1250–1517) gewidmet haben. In diesem Band erscheint nun posthum seine 1995 an der University of Chicago eingereichte Dissertation. Durch die geschickte Benutzung gesellschaftstheoretischer Ansätze gelingt es Clifford, sehr überzeugend zu zeigen, dass der mamlukische Herrschaftsverbund – wie lange Zeit behauptet – keine statische »Orientalische Despotie« darstellte, sondern im Gegenteil eine sehr ausdifferenzierte Gesellschaft war. Sie fußte vor allem auf der Einhaltung eines komplexen Ordnungssystems, das sich während der Herrschaft der ersten Sultane etabliert hatte.

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. Rather than tell the story of this tumultuous century solely from the point of view of the Mamluk dynasty, Crowds and Sultans 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 rich and thought-provoking study 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.