Medieval Cairo and its Literary Culture

Service Description

In this course you will take a deep dive into the literary culture of Medieval Cairo during the era of the Mamluk Sultanate (1250–1517). We will go through the universal history of Ibn al-Dawādarī (d. c. 1336 CE) – one of the most fascinating Mamluk historians. He was a warrior and a public servant by profession. Yet, he chose to produce a massive literary work on history – ‘Treasure of Pearls and the Collection of Shining Objects’ (Kanz al-Durar wa Jamiʿ al-Ghurar). This belletristic work is a monument to the high literary culture of Medieval Egypt. Rich in drama, eloquent speeches, poetry, and carefully crafted narrative, it mirrors a society in which literary refinement (adab) was an essential mark of education and social prestige. Through close readings of selected passages, you will discover how medieval historians transformed earlier sources into compelling narratives and what Ibn al-Dawādarī’s masterpiece tells us about the intellectual life of Mamluk Cairo. The course requires no prior knowledge of Islamic history or Arabic and is suitable for anyone interested in medieval history, literature, and the art of storytelling. Session titles: Power, Society, and Making of the Mamluk Empire Books, Scholars, and Adab in Medieval Cairo Ibn al-Dawādarī and His World Islamic historiography and Kanz al-Durar Episode One: The Dramatic Murder of ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān Episode Two: The Tragedy of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib Episode Three: Muʿāwiya and His Kingdom Heroes, Villains, and Ibn al-Dawādarī’s Art of Historical Characterisation Poetry, Speeches, and its Function in Medieval Historiography Reading Medieval Cairo through Ibn al-Dawādarī Paulius Bergaudas is a PhD candidate in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge, where my research focuses on Medieval Islamic historiography. I also hold an MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Cambridge and a Bachelor’s degree in History and Civilization from the International Islamic University Malaysia. Convinced of William Faulkner’s words, that ‘The past is never dead. It’s not even the past,’ I believe that the primary purpose of history is to explain the present. Thus, in my research of Islamic historiography, I am investigating works of Muslim historians to find out what Islamic outlook to history can tell about the past and present Muslim societies.