The Articulation of Early Islamic State Structures
Type
Fred McGraw Donner, B.A. 1968, Ph.D. 1975.
This volume reprints nineteen articles that deal with the formation of the first Islamic state under the "rightly-guided" and Umayyad caliphs (632-750 CE). The articles (five of which originally appeared in languages other than English and are translated here) trace the crystallization of key institutions of the growing empire and treat such fundamental issues as taxation, military institutions, administrative organization and practices, the barid or official courier and intelligence service, succession, the ruling elites and their income, and questions of legitimation. The volume includes an introduction by the editor that offers an overview of the processes involved and helps place each article in its proper context. It also offers an extensive bibliography of further works relevant to the theme of the volume.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Select bibliography
The formation of the Islamic state, Fred M. Donner
The development of the debate around the legitimacy of authority in early Islam, Moshe Sharon
The religious foundation of late Umayyad ideology and practice, Wadad Al-Qadi
New considerations on the nomination of 'Umar II by Sulayman b. 'Abd al-Malik, Tobias Mayer
Raja' ibn Haywa al-Kindi and the Umayyad caliphs, C.E. Bosworth
Elite incomes in the early Islamic state, Hugh Kennedy
Arab and muhajirun in the environment of amsar, Khalil Athamina
Documentary evidence for the early history of the barid, Adam Silverstein
The state archives in the early Islamic era, Meïr M. Bravmann
The content of the papyri on taxation practices, C.H. Becker
The administration of Egypt under the Umayyad khalifs, H.I. Bell
The diwans as registers of the Arab stipendiaries in early Islamic Egypt, Kosei Morimoto
The fiscal rescript of Umar b. Abd al-Aziz: a new evaluation, Azzedine Guessous
The participation of non-Arab elements in the Umayyad army and administration, Falih Husayn
An Arabic inscription from the time of the caliph `Abd al-Malik, Moshe Sharon
The coinage of Syria under the Umayyads, 692-750 AD, Michael L. Bates
The Syrian desert castles: some economic and political perspectives on their genesis, Heinze Gaube
The misr of Ayla: new evidence for the early Islamic city, Donald Whitcomb
Evolution versus revolution: Umayyad elements in the `Abassid regime 133/750-320/932, Irit Bligh-Abramski
Index.