The Rise of a Capital: Al-Fusṭāṭ And Its Hinterland, 18/639-132/750

Approx. 225 Pp. Auflage 2018
ISBN: 978-90-04-36635-0
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Band 153, 212 Seiten, Format (B × H): 160 mm x 236 mm, Gewicht: 476 g

Reihe: Islamic History and Civilization

In The Rise of a Capital: Al-Fustat and Its Hinterland, 18/639-132/750, Jelle Bruning maps al-Fustat’s development from a garrison town founded by Muslim conquerors near modern Cairo (Egypt) in c. 640 C.E. into a bustling provincial capital a century later. Synthesising contemporary papyri, archaeology and narrative sources, this book argues that al-Fustat’s position in Egypt changed with the different policies of the Rightly-Guided and Umayyad caliphs and their provincial representatives. Because these policies affected the town’s centrality in the administration as well as in commercial and legal networks throughout Egypt, from Alexandria in the north to Aswan in the south, The Rise of a Capital offers valuable new insights into Egypt’s society during the first century of Muslim rule.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Bruning, Jelle

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Naher & Mittlerer Osten

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgements
Transliteration, Dates, and Toponyms
Abbreviations
Maps

Introduction
1 Studying al-Fus?a? and Its Hinterland
2 Al-Fus?a? and Political Centrality: A Short Historical Overview

1 The Administrative Relationship between Alexandria and al-Fus?a?
1 The Establishment of Muslim Rule over Alexandria and the Foundation of al-Fus?a?
2 Connecting Alexandria to al-Fus?a? 1: The Settlement of Muslim Notables
3 Connecting Alexandria to al-Fus?a? 2: The Creation of a Military Loyalty Network
4 Strengthening al-Fus?a?’s Control over Alexandria around 40/660: Gubernatorial Presence
5 Concluding Remarks

2 The Commercial Development of Alexandria after the Foundation of al-Fus?a?
1 Al-Fus?a?: Commercial Activity in the First/Seventh and Second/Eighth Centuries
2 Alexandria in Domestic Trade: The Papyrological Evidence
3 Alexandria and Interregional Trade
4 Concluding Remarks

3 Changes in the Military Administration of Upper Egypt and Its Relationship with al-Fus?a?
1 The Thebaid: The Reach of Muslim Rule before 31/652 and the Establishment of the Southern Frontier near Aswan
2 The Thebaid: Muslim Authority and the Southern Frontier
3 Arcadia
4 Concluding Remarks

4 Al-Fus?a? and the Legal Administration of Upper Egypt
1 Before 41/661: Separated Legal Practices
2 Changes under the Sufyanids
3 Changes after c. 80/700
4 Concluding Remarks

General Conclusion: On the Development of al-Fus?a?’s Relationship with Its Hinterland
1 Circa 18/639–41/661: Al-Fus?a? and the Muslims’ Conquest Polity
2 Circa 41/661–80/700: Al-Fus?a? and Sufyanid Legitimacy, A First Wave of Centralization
3 Circa 80/700–132/750: Al-Fus?a? and Marwanid Reforms, A Second and Stronger Wave of Centralization

Appendix: Overview of the Heads of the Civil and Military Administrations of Alexandria, and Governors in Alexandria
Bibliography
Index of References to Papyri and Inscriptions
General Index

Über Autor(innen)

Jelle Bruning, Ph.D. (2014), Leiden University, is Assistant Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at that university.