Caliphal Estates in Egypt: The Estates of “al-Sayyida”

Document Type : Original Article

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Associate Professor of Islamic History and Civilization, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, University of Sadat City

Abstract

Compared to detailed records of “al-ṣawāfī” estates in Iraq following the Islamic conquest, Arabic historical sources offer scant information on imperial estates in Egypt during the Rashidun and Umayyad periods. The scarcity of information hinders our understanding of the size and nature of the imperial estates in Egypt and how they were run during these periods. In contrast, papyrus records and literary accounts from the Abbasid era provide valuable information about the extensive landholdings of the caliph, his immediate family, including his mother (al-sayyida/the Lady) and his sons (walad), as well as high-ranking administrators and military leaders. This research presents a historical and document-based analysis of the caliphal estates in Egypt with a primary focus on the estates of al-sayyida/the Lady (i.e., the mother of the caliph). The article also presents the edition of a papyrus fragment belonging to a document related to the kharāj of the estates of the Lady, referring to the mother of the caliph al-Mutawakkil (r. 232-247/847-861), Shujāʿ (d. 249/863-864). This fragment is currently preserved in the Papyrus Collection of the Austrian National Library in Vienna under the inventory number P.Vindob. Inv. A.P. 02773.

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