Selections from Subh al-A'shā by al-Qalqashandi, Clerk of the Mamluk Court

Egypt: “Seats of Government” and “Regulations of the Kingdom”, From Early Islam to the Mamluks

Tarek Galal Abdelhamid editor Heba El-Toudy editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd

Published:12th Dec '19

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Selections from Subh al-A'shā by al-Qalqashandi, Clerk of the Mamluk Court cover

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.

"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

ISBN: 9780367877897

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 453g

470 pages