Author Archives: Ruth

The Druze, 1019-forward

Posted on July 4, 2022 by Ruth

Many Muslims from other parts of the empire came to study Ismaili doctrine and law at al-Azhar and Dar al-Hikma. Al-Azhar became the more public face, providing public lectures on Ismaili law, while Dar al-Hikma focused more on the esoteric … Continue reading →

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The Mad Caliph al-Hakim, 996-1021

Posted on July 4, 2022 by Ruth

Caliph al-Aziz died of sudden serious illness in Bilbeis as he traveled toward Palestine and Syria. His 11 year old son was also on the trip, and he was summoned to his dying father’s side. Al-Aziz put his turban on … Continue reading →

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Gerbert as Pope Sylvester, 999-1003

Posted on June 10, 2022 by Ruth

Gerbert’s first royal pupil, Otto II, was married to a Greek princess and fully in control of his kingdoms by age 18. He continued his father’s project of campaigns against the Slavs; the Poles and Bohemians were converting to Christianity—and … Continue reading →

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Gerbert of Aurillac and Numbers, 960-83

Posted on June 9, 2022 by Ruth

In the 960s, a French monk named Gerbert of Aurillac came to Barcelona under the protection of its Count. The Count met him while traveling, stopping in the Benedictine monastery of Aurillac, and was so impressed with the young man’s … Continue reading →

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Duke Rollo and the First Normans, 918-42

Posted on June 9, 2022 by Ruth

In addition to the attacks of Saracens in the south and Slavs in the east, the Franks now suffered attacks of Danes in the north. Although they had similar cultures, the Franks had become the fat, soft-bodied targets of their … Continue reading →

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Feudalism in France

Posted on June 9, 2022 by Ruth

During the 10th century, two major changes came to the land of the Franks. They were unconnected, but each contributed in its own way to the establishment of medieval feudalism. The first was a set of inheritance reforms, the second…the … Continue reading →

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The Christian Prince of Kyiv, 988

Posted on June 9, 2022 by Ruth

The Rus territory of Eastern Europe stretched from Odessa on the coast to the borders of Finland in the north. The Norse in Sweden and the Slavs of the forests along the Volga River had made marriage alliances for several … Continue reading →

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Fatimid Takeover of Egypt, 969

Posted on June 9, 2022 by Ruth

In 920, the Imam-Caliph moved into a new capital city, Al-Mahdiyah, on the Tunisian coast. At this time, Turks in Bulgaria were in a power struggle with Constantinople. Both sides quickly enriched this Fatimid Caliph in a bidding war of … Continue reading →

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Mamluks and Seljuks

Posted on June 9, 2022 by Ruth

During the Abbasid years, rulers began building up private slave armies. From this practice, the Arabic word for a person owned as a possession has come to us as Mamluk. It has come to mean specifically the type of slave … Continue reading →

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Andalusian Pottery

Posted on May 24, 2022 by Ruth

If you traveled in 10th or 11th century Spain, you’d see a sharp contrast in its regional pottery. During this high-water point in Muslim Andalusia’s power, the map had stabilized into a large southern Muslim nation and a strip of small kingdoms … Continue reading →

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