1st Edition

Selections from Subh al-A'sha by al-Qalqashandi, Clerk of the Mamluk Court Egypt: �Seats of Government� and �Regulations of the Kingdom�, From Early Islam to the Mamluks

Edited By Tarek Galal Abdelhamid, Heba El-Toudy Copyright 2017
    478 Pages
    by Routledge

    478 Pages
    by Routledge



    Ṣubḥ al-A‘shā by al-Qalqashandī is a manual for chancery clerks completed in 1412 and a vital source of information on Fatimid and Mamluk Egypt which, for the first time, has been translated into English.



    The text provides valuable insight into the Mamluk and earlier Muslim eras. The selections presented in this volume describe Cairo, Fustat and the Cairo Citadel and give a detailed picture of the Fatimid (AD 969–1172), Ayyubid (AD 1172-1250) and Mamluk (AD 1250–1412) court customs, rituals and protocols, and depict how the Mamluk Sultanate was ruled. It also contains a wealth of details covering the geography, history and state administration systems of medieval Egypt. An introduction preceding the translation contextualizes al-Qalqashandī’s role and manu□script, as well as introducing the man himself, while detailed notes accompany the translation to explain and elaborate on the content of the material. The volume concludes with an extensive glossary of terms which forms a mini-encyclopaedia of the Fatimid and Mamluk periods.



    This translation will be a valuable resource for any student of medieval Islamic history.

    Table of Contents



    List of Maps



    Introduction



    Part I - The Seats of Government



    A - The First Seat of Government – Fustat









      1. The Neighbourhoods of Fustat






      2. The Houses of Fustat






      3. The House of the Amir (Dār al-Imāra)






      4. The Expansion an Decline of Fustat






      5. Al-Rawḍa Island






      6. The Establishment of al-Mahrānī (Munsha'at al-Mahrānī)






      7. Al-Ḥabash Pond (Birkat al-Ḥabash)






      8. The Mosques of Fustat






      9. The Madrasas of Fustat






      10. The Khanqas and Ribats of Fustat






      11. The Hospital




      12. B- The Second Seat of Government – Cairo





      13. The Fatimid Palaces






      14. The Gates and Walls of Cairo






      15. The Neighbourhoods of Cairo






      16. The Mosques of Cairo






      17. The Madrasas of Cairo






      18. The Khanqas and Ribats of Cairo






      19. The Five-prayer Mosques






      20. The Hospital






      21. Construction and Description of Cairo




    C- The Third Seat of Government – The Citadel



    D- Al-Qarāfa (The Cemetery)



    Part II - The Regulation of the Kingdom



    A- The First Status – Rulers Appointed by the Caliphate



    B- The Second Status –The Fatimids









      1. The First Clause – Royal Instruments






      2. The Second Clause – The Caliph's Warehouses






      3. The Third Clause – The Armies






      4. The Fourth Clause – The Holders of Offices








        1. Holders of Offices in the Caliph’s presence.






        2. Holders of the Offices outside of the Caliph’s presence.






      5. The Fifth Clause – The Appearanc

    Biography



    Heba El-Toudy is an independent researcher and translator.



    Tarek Galal Abdelhamid is an assistant professor of architecture at MSA University, Egypt. His previous publications include The Mamluk Army (2013), War In the Mamluk Period (2013), A Concise History of North Syria in the Mamluk Period (2013) and Lectures on Computer Applications in Archaeology (2014, 2015).



    "This work represents a major addition to the existing translated texts covering Egypt in the medieval period. The astonishing depth and chronological coverage of this source guarantees its usefulness to scholars concerned either with Egypt or with the broader history of the Eastern Mediterranean, while the supplementary materials provided by the editors only increase its value."

    - Nicholas Morton, Nottingham Trent University