The Spice Trade in Mamluk Egypt

Abstract

The study of the Islamic civilization, its rise and development throughout its history, has greatly been advanced in the last century. All the various aspects of Islamic civilization, its religion, tradition, poetry, philosophy, literature, law, art, and language have been thoroughly investigated and essential contributions have been made toward a better understanding of its manifold manifestations. There is, however, one field in which no substantial advances can yet be registered, and which still remains greatly a terra incognita: the economic and social history of the Islamic civilization. It is true there exists now quite a number of studies on some aspects of the economic development of early and medieval Islam, but a comprehensive social and economic history of Islam has still to be written.') Such a goal has to be preceeded by specialized studies, monographical treatments of specific economic problems of the various regions and of the various periods of the Islamic world in order to pave the way and supply the basic material for the long over-due socio-economic history of Islam.