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.
- Albany : State University of New York Press, c2001.
- xx, 303 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm.
- SUNY series in medieval Middle East history .
- SUNY series in medieval Middle East history. .
Includes bibliographical references (p. 263-291) and index.
The Initial Period. The Appearance of the Guard. Al-Ma'mun: The Consolidation of Authority. Conclusion -- The Settlement at Samarra. Al-Mu'tasim and the Departure from Baghdad. The Settlement at Samarra -- The Samarran Political Arena. The Influence of the Turkish Leadership. The Onset of Anarchy -- The Exercise of Authority. The Sources of Influence. The Reaction to Turkish Authority. Conclusion -- A Waning Presence -- Retainer Forces in Early Islamic History -- Notable Families of Turkish Origin. 1. 2. 3. 4. App. A. App. B.
"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.