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The breaking of a thousand swords : a history of the Turkish military of Samarra, A.H. 200-275/815-889 C.E. / Matthew S. Gordon.

By: Gordon, MatthewMaterial type: TextTextSeries: SUNY series in medieval Middle East historyPublication details: Albany : State University of New York Press, c2001. Description: xx, 303 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cmISBN: 0791447952 (alk. paper); 0791447960 (pbk. : alk. paper)Subject(s): Oghuz (Turkic people) -- Iraq -- Sāmarrāʾ -- History | Oghuz (Turkic people) -- Islamic Empire | Soldiers -- Islamic Empire | Sāmarrāʼ (Iraq) -- History | Islamic Empire -- History -- 750-1258 | Islamic Empire -- History, MilitaryGenre/Form: History | Military historyDDC classification: 956.7/4 LOC classification: DS79.9.S3 | G67 2001
Contents:
1. The Initial Period. The Appearance of the Guard. Al-Ma'mun: The Consolidation of Authority. Conclusion -- 2. The Settlement at Samarra. Al-Mu'tasim and the Departure from Baghdad. The Settlement at Samarra -- 3. The Samarran Political Arena. The Influence of the Turkish Leadership. The Onset of Anarchy -- 4. The Exercise of Authority. The Sources of Influence. The Reaction to Turkish Authority. Conclusion -- A Waning Presence -- App. A. Retainer Forces in Early Islamic History -- App. B. Notable Families of Turkish Origin.
Review: "The Breaking of a Thousand Swords provides a portrait of the Samarran Turks as members of a community with a specific and complex history in the early medieval Islamic world.Summary: It considers: the encounter of the Turks as rough, non-Muslim outsiders, with the sedentary, urbane world of Baghdad: the closely related encounter of the Turks with the Islamic tradition in its urban, scholarly guise; the settlement of the Turks, in Baghdad then in Samarra, through the use of land grants and appointments of office; the impact upon the affairs of the Turkish community of not only a military ranking but of a socio-political hierarchy as well; the construction by the Turkish elite of an elaborate network of patronage and support, both within urban Iraq and throughtout the provinces (Egypt in particular): and the emergence, and impact, of factionalism within the community."--Jacket.
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Status Date due Barcode
Books Books The BIAA David H. French Library
Shelf 62 - Reading Room 		H2n GORDO 26106 Not for loan BOOKS-000000026677

Includes bibliographical references (p. 263-291) and index.

1. The Initial Period. The Appearance of the Guard. Al-Ma'mun: The Consolidation of Authority. Conclusion -- 2. The Settlement at Samarra. Al-Mu'tasim and the Departure from Baghdad. The Settlement at Samarra -- 3. The Samarran Political Arena. The Influence of the Turkish Leadership. The Onset of Anarchy -- 4. The Exercise of Authority. The Sources of Influence. The Reaction to Turkish Authority. Conclusion -- A Waning Presence -- App. A. Retainer Forces in Early Islamic History -- App. B. Notable Families of Turkish Origin.

"The Breaking of a Thousand Swords provides a portrait of the Samarran Turks as members of a community with a specific and complex history in the early medieval Islamic world.

It considers: the encounter of the Turks as rough, non-Muslim outsiders, with the sedentary, urbane world of Baghdad: the closely related encounter of the Turks with the Islamic tradition in its urban, scholarly guise; the settlement of the Turks, in Baghdad then in Samarra, through the use of land grants and appointments of office; the impact upon the affairs of the Turkish community of not only a military ranking but of a socio-political hierarchy as well; the construction by the Turkish elite of an elaborate network of patronage and support, both within urban Iraq and throughtout the provinces (Egypt in particular): and the emergence, and impact, of factionalism within the community."--Jacket.