Caliphs, Governors and their Administrators in Early Islam A Prosopographical Approach (AH 24–36/644–661 CE)
My PhD thesis “Caliphs, Governors, and their Administrators in Early Islam: A Prosopographical Approach AH 24–41/644–661 CE,” offers a fresh perspective on early Islamic history by examining the broader social and political networks that underpin the power and influence of historical figures. It uses prosopography – a study of collective biography and social network theory – to reshape our understanding of two of the most influential figures in Islamic history, ʿUthmān b. ʿAffān (22-34/644-656) and ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (34-41/656-661), along with forty-three of their governors whose roles and connections were pivotal in shaping society in the early Islamic period. My research is the first to show that the relationship between governors and caliphs reveals that kinship and marriage relationships were the driving forces that influenced networks of power and shaped the political landscape of the developing society. My PhD project has uncovered biographical material of 400 people involved directly or indirectly in the expansion of Islam within 22-41/644-661. This material challenges the traditional understanding of how power was distributed by two significant political leaders in the conquered lands during the rise of Islam. Part one reveals the motivations behind the marriages of ʿUthmān and his governors in Syria, Egypt, and Iraq. It uncovers how the kinship ties forged during his rule significantly contributed to the stability and longevity of his leadership. Part two argues that ʿAlī’s political influence was not as significant as traditionally understood. His marriages, which were more about survival than strategy, show a man isolated by his own tribe, forced to seek alliances with non-Qurashī tribes. By examining his marital alliances and those of his governors, I reveal the complexities and limitations of his political manoeuvres.
governors, caliphs, Islam, Quraysh, Uthman, Ali
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