IFAO

Abstract:

The lecture will present a study and a book on the history of Islamic Egypt during a little-known time period (the 16th century) through the lens of its rural world, an even lesser-known reality. Following their conquest of Egypt in 1517, the Ottomans developed a lasting concern for the countryside, as it represented a major source of state income. Their attempt to assess and harness its resources brought about an exceptional set of archival records, part of which remain extant to date. These archives retain information on land regimes and fiscal organisation as well as shedding light on the distribution of power and authority within rural societies. Despite giving evidence on the wide-ranging autonomy that local peasant communities could enjoy, such records still impart uniformity to highly diverse and unequal societies. Studying 16th-century Egypt in this way is thus insightful to understand its former Mamluk history as well as its evolutions to come during Ottoman times.

Séminaire Qira'ât

The seminar "Reading historical documents from Egypt, Medieval till modern times", "Qira'at", literally means "readings, interpretations", is organized by Magdi Guirguis and Frédéric Abécassis who invite researchers who can express themselves in Arabic and present documents they comment. The presentation is usually followed by comments from the organizers and a discussion with the audience.

يعكس عنوان هذه السلسلة من الندوات "قراءات" تعدد تفسيرات الوثائق التاريخية، عنوان الندوة الكامل هو "قراءة الوثائق التاريخية من مصر من العصور الوسطى حتى العصر الحديث". ينظم الندوة مجدي جرجس وفريديريك أبيكاسيس الذين يدعون باحثين يمكنهم التعبير عن أنفسهم باللغة العربية وتقديم أحد الوثائق والتعليق عليها. عادة ما يتبع العرض التقديمي تعليقات من المنظمين ومناقشة مع الجمهور.