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Volume :10 Issue : 38 1990
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Administrative Division in Egypt Under The Turkish Mamluks (in Arabic)
Auther : Hayat Nasir AI-Hajji
This paper aims at shedding light on an important period in the Mamluk history, and more specifically in the history of the Turkish Mam luks in Egypt, in terms of the administrative divisions adopted at the time. These divisions, together with their concomitant distribution of Igtas among the Sultan, amirs and soldiers, had far reaching political, in addition to their economic and military, importance.
The various sources indicate that the Egyption lands were, in the pre-Mamluk period, divided into three principal partitions including fifty five regions (Auras). This division underwent drastic changes through overal processes and redistribution of the lands. These processes are known in history as Husami Rawk and Nasiri Rawk.
This paper discusses these systems in detail, explaining their objective aimed at by both Sultan al-Mansur Husam al-Din Laggin al-Mansuri and Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad lbn Qalawaun, indicating that they had one and the same aim, namely dwindling the economic ability and its concomitant political weight of the Mamluk amirs.
It is argued in this paper that the distinction between the two systems lies in approach; all-Mansur Husam al-Din reached his aim by direct means, and thus embittered the amirs; while al-Nasir Muhammad adopted an indirect method that perplexed, but convinced, them by virtue of his strong and decisive personality.
This paper studies the continuity of this Mamluk administrative division in Egypt extending over a period of two centuries and some, during which the Mamluk Sul-tans could employ an economic system for realizing political aims, and an administrative and social method for personal interests. This study maintains that The rawk was merely an economic or administrative project, since its completion resulted in political and military aims which did not escape the contemporary historians views.