The Sword of Ambition: Bureaucratic Rivalry in Medieval Egypt

Cover
Table of Contents
Letter from the General Editor
Foreword
Abbreviations
Acknowledgments
Introduction
A Note on the Text
Ayyubid Cairo
The Central Near East in the 7th Century
Notes to the Introduction
THE SWORD OF AMBITION
	The First Chapter, On the Reprehensibility of Employing Dhimmis for the Muslims’ Jobs, in Fifteen Sections
		The First Section: The Testimony of the Illustrious Book
		The Second Section: The Example of the Messenger of God
		The Third Section: The Testimony of the Ancient Authorities
		The Fourth Section: The Example of Imam Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq,  God Be Pleased with Him
		The Fifth Section: The Example of Imam \'Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb
		The Sixth Section: The Example of \'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwān
		The Seventh Section: The Deeds of al-Ḥajjāj
		The Eighth Section: The Example of \'Umar ibn \'Abd al-\'Azīz, God  Be Pleased with Him
		The Ninth Section: The Events That Took Place in the Days of  Caliph al-Manṣūr
		The Tenth Section: The Events That Took Place in the Days of 
Caliph al-Mahdī
		The Eleventh Section: The Events That Took Place in the Days of Caliph Hārūn al-Rashīd
		The Twelfth Section: The Events That Took Place in the Days of  Caliph al-Ma\'mūn
		The Thirteenth Section: The Events That Took Place in the Days of al-Mutawakkil
		The Fourteenth Section: The Events That Took Place in the Days of 
Caliph al-Muqtadir Bi-llāh
		The Fifteenth Section: Examples of the Jews’ Ignominy, Wickedness, and Trickery
	The Second Chapter, A Description of the Copts and Their Perfidies, in Fifteen Sections
		The First Section: A General Description of Them
		The Second Section: Why the Copts Specialize as Secretaries and Neglect Other Professions
		The Third Section: Concerning Their Pervasive yet Imperceptible Influence in the Land of Egypt
		The Fourth Section: How Aḥmad ibn Ṭūlūn Discovered Their Notorious Malfeasance, and How He Resolved to Act toward Them
		The Fifth Section: What Befell Them at the Hands of Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān
		The Sixth Section: The Events That Took Place in the Days of al-Ḥākim bi-Amr Allāh
		The Seventh Section: The Events That Took Place in the Days of al-Āmir, and the Confiscations Carried Out by the Accursed Monk
		The Eighth Section: Their Perfidy in the Story of \'Arīb the Singer
		The Ninth Section: Their Scheming in the Days of al-Ḥāfiẓ, Their Perfidy during His Regime, and the Way in Which They Corrupted Aspects of His Life Which Had Otherwise Been Righteous
		The Tenth Section: Their Shameless Testimony in Court Cases Involving Muslims
		The Eleventh Section: Concerning Their Scheming in Carrying Out the Cadastral Survey, and Their Shamelessness in Causing Harm, with No Concern for God, Be He Exalted, No Fear of Scandal from the Discovery of Their Disgrace, and No Regard for Consequences
		The Twelfth Section: Their Scheming against a Certain Judicial Witness Who Was in Their Company, and How They Cannot Be Restrained from Malfeasance
		The Thirteenth Section: Concerning a Calculated Stratagem Carried Out by a Christian against His Jewish Associate, a Shocking Act That Only Someone of That Accursed Community Would Dare to Commit
		The Fourteenth Section: Their Disgraceful Deeds in the Days of  al-\'Āḍid, When al-Malik al-Ṣāliḥ Ṭalā\'i\' ibn Ruzzīk Was Sultan
		The Fifteenth Section: Why It Is That When One of Them Converts to Islam Due to Some Predicament or Calamity, He Becomes Even More Miserable and Dishonest than He Had Been Formerly, and Even More Insolent
	The Third Chapter, A Description of Secretaries and Their Art, in Three Sections
		The First Section: A Description of the Secretarial Art
		The Second Section: An Account of Those Men Who May Properly Be Called Secretaries, along with Some of Their Achievements in Prose, Though It Be but a Single Phrase to Demonstrate the Excellence of Each One
		The Third Section: Examples of the Poetry Produced by the Most Excellent Secretaries, Though It Be but a Single Line Each
	The Fourth Chapter, An Account of the Ignorant Men Who Have Unworthily Donned the Garments of the Secretaries, in Three Sections
		The First Section: Poetry Composed about Such Men in Former and More Recent Times
		The Second Section: Concerning Amusing Aspects of Their Vulgar Expression, and Their Foolishness
		The Third Section, From Which Our Book Gets Its Title: What Should Be Done with Them, Namely, Taking Back the Property They Have Skimmed for Themselves from Public Funds Rightfully Belonging to the Muslims
		A Section with Which I End This Book, Explaining My Reason for Composing It
Notes
The Fatimid Caliphs in Egypt
The Ayyubid Sultans in Egypt
Glossary of Names and Terms
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Bibliography
Further Reading
Index
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