Our systems are now restored following recent technical disruption, and we’re working hard to catch up on publishing. We apologise for the inconvenience caused. Find out more

Recommended product

Popular links

Popular links


Empire and Elites after the Muslim Conquest

Empire and Elites after the Muslim Conquest

Empire and Elites after the Muslim Conquest

The Transformation of Northern Mesopotamia
Chase F. Robinson, University of Oxford
January 2001
Available
Hardback
9780521781152

    The study of early Islamic history has flourished in recent years. Chase Robinson's book takes full account of the latest research, interweaving history and historiography to interpret the political, social, and economic transformations in the Mesopotamian region after the Islamic conquests. Using Arabic and Syriac sources, the author focuses on the Muslim and Christian élites, demonstrating that significant social change took place only at the end of the seventh century. This is a sophisticated study at the cutting-edge of a burgeoning field in Islamic studies.

    • Combination of history and historiography means that this book will be at the cutting edge of early Islamic studies
    • A neglected geographic area in this period studied through the prism of a range of sources
    • Robinson is a rising star in this area, already recognized as a brilliant scholar

    Reviews & endorsements

    "In Empire and Elites, Chase F. Robinson, a university lecturer at Oxford, offers a thorough reassessment of the provincial history and historiography of northern Mesopotamia during the "postconquest" and Umayyad period...the argument as a whole is presented with admirable clarity and breadth of vision...Both for its argument and methodology, Empire and Elites deserves the attention of students of early Islamic history and historiography." History

    "For the specialist or advanced graduate student, the book is a jewel." Historian

    "...a closely read, densely documented introduction to the conquest and transformation of Muslim and Christian elites from the seventh through the eighth centuries." American Historical Review

    See more reviews

    Product details

    January 2005
    Adobe eBook Reader
    9780511030727
    0 pages
    0kg
    1 map
    This ISBN is for an eBook version which is distributed on our behalf by a third party.

    Table of Contents

    • Preface
    • Acknowledgements
    • List of abbreviations
    • Note on dates and citations
    • Map: the fertile crescent in the early Abbasid period
    • 1. Conquest history and its uses
    • 2. The seventh-century Jazira
    • 3. From garrison to city: the birth of Mosul
    • 4. A Christian élites in the Mosuli hinterland: the shaharija
    • 5. Islam in the north: Jaziran Kharijism
    • 6. Massacre and narrative: the Abbasid Revolution in Mosul I
    • 7. Massacre and élite politics: the Abbasid Revolution in Mosul II
    • Conclusion
    • Bibliography
    • Index.
      Author
    • Chase F. Robinson , University of Oxford

      Chase F. Robinson is Lecturer in Islamic History at the University of Oxford.