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Judaism, Christianity and Islam in Local History of Egypt
Abstract
My paper focuses on Jews, Christians, and Muslims in local history of Egypt. Living during the reign of the Tulunids (868-905), who were the first to rule Egypt independently from the Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258), Ibn Abd al-Hakam (d. 870) composed his local history of Egypt entitled Futuh Misr to construct an Egyptian-Muslim identity that is distinct from the rest of the Islamic Empire yet was part of the global Umma. In several parts of his work, Ibn Abd al-Hakam addressed the relationship between Islam and the Judeo-Christian heritage. While scholars argue that Ibn Abd al-Hakam simply links Islam to the Judeo-Christian heritage, I attempt to read Ibn Abd al-Hakam’s work in the context of the Tulunids and Abbasids conflicts. I argue that the Judeo-Christian heritage was critical for Ibn Abd al-Hakam’s construction of an identity.
Discipline
History
Geographic Area
Egypt
Sub Area
Identity/Representation