Introduction to the Political Thought of the Mamluk Period: The Revival of the Tradition of “al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya” and the Struggle to Solve the Problem of Legitimacy

Abstract

The new situation that emerged following the collapse of the Baghdadbased Abbasid Caliphate in 1258 brought about a number of developments in terms of political thought. The institution of the caliphate had been renewed in 1261 by Egypt-centered Mamluks, a medieval realm which had been founded immediately prior to the fall of the caliphate, and this new structure of the caliphate had encouraged many scholars to enquire into various aspects of politics. In addition, the ongoing conflicts with the Mongols and the Crusaders had influenced the attitudes and the language of texts in the field. Moreover, with the influence of competition with the neighboring Islamic states, sometimes in times of war and sometimes in times of peace, a rich literature of political thought had been collected in the Mamluk era. This study tries to draw together some general thoughts on the diversity of texts on political thought in the Mamluk period and also tries to shed light on the main issues of that period. Additionally, the study draws attention to two main arguments on “political-jurisprudential ahkâm”: The debates on the caliphate-sultanate axis which revive the tradition of al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya and the problems of political legitimacy stemming from the question of being a Qureshi or not. The main claim of the article is that the different fiqh tendencies of the time triggered discussions on politics, as a result of which a rich literature emerged.