The Cambridge History of Egypt, Volume 1: Islamic Egypt, 640-1517

The Cambridge History of Egypt #1

by Carl F. Petry (Editor)

The Cambridge History of Egypt offers the first comprehensive English-language treatment of Egyptian history through thirteen centuries, from the Arab conquest to the present day. The two-volume survey considers the political, socio-economic and cultural history of the world's oldest state, summarizing the debates and providing insight into current controversies. As today's Egypt reclaims a leading role in the Islamic, Arab and Afro-Asian worlds, the project stands as testimony to its complex and vibrant past. Volume 1 addresses the period from the Arab invasion in 640 to the Ottoman conquest in 1517. It opens with a discussion of the preceding centuries to illustrate the legacy of ancient Egypt, and then progresses chronologically according to the major dynastic episodes. Authors have been encouraged to address their topics in the light of new research. The combination of political history and contemporary theory will ensure its value as a reference and research tool.

Genres: History, Egypt

666 pages, Hardcover

Published February 13, 1999

Reviews

[Monica Mitri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book for an overview of medieval Egypt since the Arab Conquest and until the Ottoman conquest in 1517. There is an excellent timeline of Egyptian history at the end of the book. The chapters are well-researched, though some information is now outdated by more recent scholarship. Examples of revisionist histories well worth reading alongside this volume is Tamer el-Leithy, "Coptic Culture and Conversion in Medieval Cairo, 1293-1524 A.D." (PhD. Dissertation, Princeton University, 2005), and also Maged Mikhail's 'From Byzantine to Islamic Egypt: Religion, Identity and Politics after the Arab Conquest.' (New York: I.B. Tauris, 2014).

Two other shortcomings prevented me from giving this book 5 stars. The first is the conspicuous absence of Egyptian scholars from the contributors to this volume. This book came out in 1998 ... and not a single Egyptian scholar, or even one affiliated with an Egyptian university, could be found to contribute! Or did they not contribute because, more realistically, they were not invited to?

My second critique is about the absence of 'minorities' as we call them today, most notably Christians and Jews. True, there are 2 chapters dedicated to these groups, but outside them, Copts and Jews appear very sparsely. This gives the impression that they were inconspicuous in daily affairs, although we know they were merchants, scholars, physicians, administrative officials, tax collectors, and even viziers. A few names crop up every now and then, but overall they are sidelined. Some more modern revisionist history here is well worth reading, such as:
- Swanson, Mark. 'The Coptic Papacy in Islamic Egypt (641–1517).' The Popes of Egypt 2. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2010.
- Uriel Simonsohn, 'A Common Justice: The Legal Allegiances of Christians and Jews under Early Islam.' University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011
- Weitz, Lev. 'Between Christ and Caliph: Law, Marriage, and Christian Community in Early Islam.' University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018.

[Almodather Awad · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best works of historical scholarship I have ever read on the history of Egypt. Worth every second of reading.

[Bryn Hammond]

It's in paperback.
Mamluk history is hard to find.

[وسام عبده · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is better than most modern Egyptian historians who usually put the horse in the front of the wagon and wrote the history to match their goals and intents.