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Practising diplomacy in the Mamluk Sultanate : gifts and material culture in the medieval Islamic world / Doris Behrens-Abouseif

Author
Behrens-Abouseif, Doris
Published
London : I.B. Tauris, 2014.
Physical Description
1 online resource (xxi, 242 pages, 32 unnumbered pages of plates) : color illustrations
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Contents
Part One: The culture of gifts -- The world of the Mamluks -- Protocol and codes of gift exchange -- Part Two: Gifts in the geo-political contexts -- The Red Sea and Indian Ocean Connection -- Africa -- The Black Sea, Anatolia, Iran and Central Asia -- Europe -- Part Three: The Gifts -- Tradition and legacy -- Gifts for and from the Mamluks -- Gifts and Mamluk identity -- Conclusion.
Summary
Elaborate and sensational gifts were the hallmark of Mamluk diplomacy. From Cairo, where they controlled the medieval spice trade and the holy sites of Christianity and Islam, the Mamluk Sultans - conscious of their humble slave origins - augmented their claims to legitimacy through brilliant displays of diplomatic gift-giving, creating a celebrated reputation for the Sultanate from Europe to the Far East. From spices, ceremonial textiles and military objects to elephants and giraffes, and even humans - either living or as severed heads - the offerings varied in combination and emphasis according to the status and circumstances of giver and receiver, but always created a sensation. Through an unparalleled study of primary sources and rigorous fieldwork, this original book - richly illustrated in color - explores the unpredictable and nuanced art of the regal gift in the Mamluk Sultanate from 1250-1517. Doris Behrens-Abouseif not only provides the first study of this subject, but makes an important contribution to the study of diplomacy, economics, visual arts and material culture in the medieval period. -- Provided by publisher.
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Genre(s)
ISBN
9780857724243 (electronic bk.)
085772424X (electronic bk.)
178076877X
9781780768779
9780857735416
0857735411
Digital File Characteristics
PDF
text file
Bibliography Note
Includes bibliographical references and index.
View MARC record | catkey: 42865487