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The Breaking of a Thousand Swords: A History of the Turkish Military of Samarra
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The Breaking of a Thousand Swords: A History of the Turkish Military of Samarra (A.H. 200-275/815-889 C.E.) Hardcover - 2001

by Matthew S. Gordon


From the publisher

The Breaking of a Thousand Swords provides a portrait of the Samarran Turks as members of a community with a specific and complex history in the early medieval Islamic world. It considers: the encounter of the Turks as rough, non-Muslim outsiders, with the sedentary, urbane world of Baghdad; the closely related encounter of the Turks with the Islamic tradition in its urban, scholarly guise; the settlement of the Turks, in Baghdad then in Samarra, through the use of land grants and appointments to office; the impact upon the affairs of the Turkish community of not only a military ranking but of a socio-political hierarchy as well; the construction by the Turkish elite of an elaborate network of patronage and support, both within urban Iraq and throughout the provinces (Egypt in particular); and the emergence, and impact, of factionalism within the community.

Details

  • Title The Breaking of a Thousand Swords: A History of the Turkish Military of Samarra (A.H. 200-275/815-889 C.E.)
  • Author Matthew S. Gordon
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Pages 324
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher State University of New York Press, Albany, NY
  • Date January 2001
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9780791447956 / 0791447952
  • Weight 1.21 lbs (0.55 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.9 in (23.37 x 15.75 x 2.29 cm)
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: Medieval (500-1453) Studies
    • Cultural Region: Middle Eastern
  • Library of Congress subjects Islamic Empire - History - 750-1258, Islamic Empire - History, Military
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 00026530
  • Dewey Decimal Code 956.74

About the author

Matthew S. Gordon is Assistant Professor of History at Miami University, Ohio.