War and Peace in the Medieval Near East (10th-15th Century).
IFPO/IFAO| N° d'inventaire | 25007 |
| Format | 20.5 x 28 |
| Détails | 574 p., publisher's hardcover. |
| Publication | Beirut, 2019 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782724706437 |
In this resolutely multidisciplinary work, which brings together European, American, and Arab historians and archaeologists, war and peace are considered as an inseparable couple, in permanent interactivity. The works gathered here show that this interactivity was particularly significant in the Arab and Muslim Near East of the 10th and 16th centuries, where a class of non-Arab warriors created new political regimes marked by a strong militarization of power. These warriors made war and peace tools for managing men and territories, which they used as they saw fit, always with the aim of promoting and perpetuating their power.
Yet, the activity of these warriors is not limited to the military sphere. The contributions gathered in this book help refute the idea, still too often put forward by specialists in the Arab and Muslim Near East, that they form a caste completely disconnected from other social groups. Certainly, they do constitute a singular social group, which takes charge of the fight against the Crusaders and the Mongols, whose attacks seemed, for a time, to threaten the very existence of Dār al-islām. But the warriors are not isolated from other social groups, with whom they share many values and cultural practices. Their activity is multifaceted. It is not limited to the political and military sphere: they also invest in the religious, economic, and cultural spheres. Gradually, with the support of the civil and religious elites on whom they rely to govern and with whom they mingle, they profoundly shape the societies they dominate, which, upon reading this book, appear not to be socially segmented or compartmentalized.
War and peace are deemed as inseparable and in relevant interactivity in this multidisciplinary work, which brings together European, American and Arab historians and archaeologists. The papers published in this book show that this interactivity was particularly salient in the Arab and Muslim Middle East of the 10th-16th centuries, where a class of non-Arab warriors created new political regimes characterized by a strong militarization of power. These warriors used war and peace as means to manage territories and men in order to consolidate and entrench their power.
However, the activity of these warriors was not restricted to the military field. The papers collected in this book refute the idea, often still put forward by the specialists of the Arab and Muslim Middle East, that they formed a caste entirely detached from other social groups. Admittedly, they make up a singular body that takes charge of the fight against the Crusaders, who threatened Dār al-islām. Nevertheless, these warriors were not secluded from other social groups, with whom they share cultural values and practices. Their activity was multifaceted and not only limited to the political and military field. They were also involved in religious, economic and cultural activity. They gradually shaped the societies that they ruled with the support of the civil and religious elites on whom they relied to govern. This book shows that medieval Middle Eastern societies were neither socially segmented nor compartmentalized.
In this resolutely multidisciplinary work, which brings together European, American, and Arab historians and archaeologists, war and peace are considered as an inseparable couple, in permanent interactivity. The works gathered here show that this interactivity was particularly significant in the Arab and Muslim Near East of the 10th and 16th centuries, where a class of non-Arab warriors created new political regimes marked by a strong militarization of power. These warriors made war and peace tools for managing men and territories, which they used as they saw fit, always with the aim of promoting and perpetuating their power.
Yet, the activity of these warriors is not limited to the military sphere. The contributions gathered in this book help refute the idea, still too often put forward by specialists in the Arab and Muslim Near East, that they form a caste completely disconnected from other social groups. Certainly, they do constitute a singular social group, which takes charge of the fight against the Crusaders and the Mongols, whose attacks seemed, for a time, to threaten the very existence of Dār al-islām. But the warriors are not isolated from other social groups, with whom they share many values and cultural practices. Their activity is multifaceted. It is not limited to the political and military sphere: they also invest in the religious, economic, and cultural spheres. Gradually, with the support of the civil and religious elites on whom they rely to govern and with whom they mingle, they profoundly shape the societies they dominate, which, upon reading this book, appear not to be socially segmented or compartmentalized.
War and peace are deemed as inseparable and in relevant interactivity in this multidisciplinary work, which brings together European, American and Arab historians and archaeologists. The papers published in this book show that this interactivity was particularly salient in the Arab and Muslim Middle East of the 10th-16th centuries, where a class of non-Arab warriors created new political regimes characterized by a strong militarization of power. These warriors used war and peace as means to manage territories and men in order to consolidate and entrench their power.
However, the activity of these warriors was not restricted to the military field. The papers collected in this book refute the idea, often still put forward by the specialists of the Arab and Muslim Middle East, that they formed a caste entirely detached from other social groups. Admittedly, they make up a singular body that takes charge of the fight against the Crusaders, who threatened Dār al-islām. Nevertheless, these warriors were not secluded from other social groups, with whom they share cultural values and practices. Their activity was multifaceted and not only limited to the political and military field. They were also involved in religious, economic and cultural activity. They gradually shaped the societies that they ruled with the support of the civil and religious elites on whom they relied to govern. This book shows that medieval Middle Eastern societies were neither socially segmented nor compartmentalized.