State Documents from the Medieval Islamicate World
The various political states that existed in the premodern history of the Islamicate world share a remarkable characteristic: their archives do not survive. As this puts restrictions on the extent to which we can examine consolidation of power, hierarchy, bureaucracy, legislation and taxation, their political systems often remain only partially understood. However, historians have advanced helpful reinterpretations of what constitute “archives” and “original documents”, as well as called attention to (unexpectedly) large amounts of documents preserved in non-archival contexts which nevertheless relate to state administrations.
In view of these promising developments, the aim of this colloquium is to highlight some important original state documents which are preserved and currently researched, from the Cairo Geniza and the Ḥaram al-sharīf documents in Jerusalem, to documents from Afghanistan and India, while also continuing the discussion about alternative methods when sufficient original materials have not (yet) been recovered. By bringing together experts on 8th to 16th-century West Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia, the colloquium deliberately takes a transregional and diachronic perspective to the study of states and their administrations in the premodern Islamicate world. It is our intention that this will provide a useful cross section of the latest discoveries, lead to more disciplinary coherence, and stimulate innovative future research into documentary sources.
To attend the colloquium, please register using the form at this link. Participation is free of charge, but advanced registration is requested.
