The Sword of Ambition: Bureaucratic Rivalry in Medieval Egypt (Library of Arabic Literature, 52) - Softcover

Yarbrough

Softcover

ISBN 10: 147982478X ISBN 13: 9781479824786

Publisher: NYU Press, 2019

Synopsis

Patronage, power, and competition in the Sultan’s court

The Sword of Ambition opens a new window onto interreligious rivalry among elites in medieval Egypt. Written by the unemployed bureaucrat 'Uthman ibn Ibrahim al-Nabulusi, it contains a wealth of little-known historical anecdotes, unusual religious opinions, obscure and witty poetry, and humorous cultural satire. Leaving no rhetorical stone unturned, al-Nabulusi pours his deep knowledge of history, law, and literature into the work―addressed to the Ayyubid sultan―as he argues against the employment of Coptic and Jewish officials.

Written at a time when much of the inter-communal animosity of the era was conditioned by fierce competition for scarce resources that were increasingly controlled by an ideologically committed Sunni Muslim state, The Sword of Ambition reminds us that “religious” conflict must always be considered in its broader historical perspective.

About this title

About the Author:

'Uthman ibn Ibrahim al-Nabulusi (d. 660/1262), of Palestinian origin, was a leading Egyptian bureaucrat in the court of the Ayyubid sultans. In addition to his pivotal work, The Sword of Ambition, he wrote several works on Egyptian administration and government, including A Presentation of the Living, Eternal God's Work in Regulating the Fayyum, the most extensive tax record that survives from the medieval Middle East.

About this edition

• Publisher: NYU Press
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 147982478X
• ISBN 13: 9781479824786
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224