Caliphal Finances

On 22 July 2024

In Conference, News, Recent Events

The sixteenth Conference of the School of Abbasid Studies (SAS) took place in Venice from July 9th to 13th. I (Noëmie Lucas) was among the participants. I presented my research on fiscal-related narratives with a focus on the case study of ʿUmar b. Mihrān.

Jul 22, 2024

Fiscal Revolts in Egypt as Crisis Response: Insights from an IMC Panel at Leeds

On 15 July 2024

In Conference, News, Recent Events

On Monday, July 1st, Noëmie Lucas participated in the 2024 International Medieval Congress (IMC) held in Leeds, presenting her research on fiscal revolts in a double panel organized by the SCORE team. She also chaired the second panel, contributing to a highly productive afternoon of presentations and discussions on revolts and rebellions in the Islamic world and their connection to crises.

Jul 15, 2024

A Father Pays Taxes for His Son: CPR IV 13

On 10 July 2024

In Spotlight

We would like to shine a spotlight on a tax receipt from 10th century Egypt which we mentioned in our post on the Paperwork of Taxation: Abbasid Fiscal Documents from Egypt, but which has not received much scholarly attention. It documents, in a combination of 3 languages, a father paying taxes for his son.

Jul 10, 2024

« Fiscal Flows and Social Bonds: Exploring the Taxation of Medieval Islamic Egypt » – The Caliphal Finances team at the SMM Conference

On 2 July 2024

In News, Recent Events

The University of Edinburgh hosted the 8th International Conference of the Society for the Medieval Mediterranean (SMM) from June 24 to 27, 2024. The conference theme was “Being Human: Rhythms, Actions, Interactions in the Medieval Mediterranean.”

Jul 2, 2024

Research Visit: Coptic Papyri at Cambridge University Library

On 22 June 2024

In News, Research Visit

Earlier this week, team member Eline Scheerlinck spent three days in the Manuscripts Reading Room of Cambridge University Library, studying Coptic papyri that are part of the library’s collections. Eline will be editing the papyri together with Manchester-based Coptic papyrologist Jennifer Cromwell, who also founded the blog Papyrus Stories. The Coptic papyri in question were part of the working archive of Egyptologist Herbert Thompson (1859-1944) and entered Cambridge University Library in 2012 and 2014. Read the whole story below!

Jun 22, 2024

The Paperwork of Taxation: Abbasid Fiscal Documents from Egypt

On 17 June 2024

In Resources, Spotlight, Uncategorised

The administration of taxation in the Abbasid Caliphate generated a substantial amount of paperwork. A fraction of this documentation, in the form of pieces of papyrus and paper written in Arabic, Coptic, and Greek, has been excavated in Egypt and dispersed to various collections, predominantly located in Europe and the United States. These documents provide insight into the management of taxation on the ground. In this blog, we provide a first look at the various types of documents that were produced in the context of the Abbasid fiscal administration in Egypt.

Jun 17, 2024

Be Our Guest: The Caliphal Finances Team Spent Two Days with Cecilia Palombo

In News, Workshops

From May 26 to 28, the Caliphal Finances team had the pleasure of hosting Cecilia Palombo, Assistant Professor of Early Islamic History at the University of Chicago.

Jun 10, 2024

Research Visit: A Deep Dive into Fiscal Documents at the Austrian National Library

In News, Research Visit

In April this year, two of our team members, PhD student Dalia Hussein and postdoctoral researcher Eline Scheerlinck, visited the papyrus collection of the Austrian National Library in Vienna. We spent a week studying dozens of Arabic, Coptic, and Greek papyrus and paper documents from the fiscal administration of Abbasid Egypt.

Jun 10, 2024

The Caliphal Finances Team Invites Scholars to Discuss Their Research and Taxation

In News, Past events, Workshops

To share our ongoing work on the project, test hypotheses, learn more about the work of researchers on taxation and the history of the period we are studying, and compare our findings with other areas or periods, we regularly invite colleagues to join us for a few days of discussion and collaboration. Over the past years (2022-2023), we have had the great pleasure of welcoming the following scholars:

Jun 10, 2024

Highlights of 2023: Key Moments with the Caliphal Finances Team