State and rural society in medieval Islam

by Tsugitaka Satō

This book deals with the evolution of Islamic state and society from the tenth to the fourteenth centuries, focusing on the history of the Arab society under the iqta (allocated tax revenue) system. The book offers a well documented study of the system with its use of hitherto unpublished Arabic manuscripts. The introductory chapter deals with the historical origins of the iqta system, while chapters that follow discuss the history of the system in Iraq, Syria and Egypt, including systematic studies on the rural life and peasantry in Egypt. State and Rural Society in Medieval Islam is the first thorough, book-length study to show how this system may explain various historical phenomena in medieval Islam. The iqta system now can be seen as a system with a comprehensive life of its own.