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The Finances of the Caliphate: Abbasid Fiscal Practice in Islamic Late Antiquity

Project description

Taxes and empire

The Abbasids, the second longest ruling dynasty in Islamic history, ruled the Islamic world between 750 and 1258. The first centuries of their rise to power are of key importance for the history of Islam: the earliest surviving literary texts written by Muslims, ranging from poetry to fiscal treatises, were composed during this period. Focussing on Greek, Coptic and Arabic papyrus documents from that time, the EU-funded CALIPHALFINANCES project aims to shed light on the Abbasid administrative and fiscal history. Specifically, the project will study the organisation of tax collection, tax rates and categories of taxpayers. To trace how provincial revenues reached the caliph, researchers will incorporate the information found in provincial chronicles with that in the papyri.

Host institution

THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
Net EU contribution
€ 1 497 647,00
Address
Old College, South Bridge
EH8 9YL Edinburgh
United Kingdom

See on map

Region
Eastern Scotland Edinburgh
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Other funding
€ 0,00

Beneficiaries (1)

THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
United Kingdom
Net EU contribution
€ 1 497 647,00
Address
Old College, South Bridge
EH8 9YL Edinburgh

See on map

Region
Eastern Scotland Edinburgh
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Other funding
€ 0,00