Regional and Transregional Elites – Connecting the Early Islamic Empire, Oct. 7-8, 2016, AS-Saal, ESA 1, Universität Hamburg

The conference aimed at examining the roles that regional and transregional elites played in governing the vast early Islamic Empire (7^th-10^th century CE). The regional elites and their participation in governance and administration are essential for understanding the intricate workings of the early Islamic Empire, offering their loyalty or showing their dissatisfaction.

Similarly, the study of transregional elites, who projected imperial power but sought also to negotiate regional interests at the caliphal court, promises key insights into how the caliphal administration controlled and integrated diverse regions and populations whilst securing the interests of the empire at large.

The conference followed a workshop format, with a focus on discussion. Among the speakers were Cyrille Aillet, Fanny Bessard, Amikam Elad, Matthew Gordon, Hugh Kennedy, Yacoov Lev, Petra Sijpesteijn, Luke Treadwell and Alison Vacca.

[  PROGRAM ]

The conference addressed a number of core issues about regional and transregional elites: who were the various elites in a region? How did these regional elites interact with the empire and change in the course of interaction? What mechanisms and strategies did they develop? How and through which agents did they influence imperial decisions? How were transregional elites influenced by their interaction with regional elites, eventually becoming entrenched in the regions? How did they balance their relationships with regional elites, on the one hand, and central caliphal authorities on the other? Where and how were transregional elites recruited? Was the shift from one imperial elite (Arab, Khurāsānian, Central Asian, etc.) to another a sign of failure; or were some elites better at reproducing themselves as elites? What existing networks and emerging institutions helped them to connect the empire and its diverse regions (tribal affiliations, family policies, mawālī, strategic appointments, etc.)?

The conference was organized around three key themes:

1. Conceptualization of regional and transregional elites from a comparative perspective.

    Definitions of elites, their origins, and their evolving identities

2. Transregional and imperial elites

    Recruitment, function, networks, and reproduction of imperial elites (Arabs, Khurāsānians, Central Asians, and others)

3. Regional elites

   Converted regional elites and non-Muslim elites and their interactions with the empire in

• North Africa and Egypt,
• the Arab Peninsula, Syria, the Jazīra, and Iraq,
• and Iran and Greater Khurāsān

[ CONFERENCE REPORT ]

Peter Verkinderen, Simon Gundelfinger and Stefan Heidemann

Alison Vacca, Matthias Naue, Nils Purwins, Houda Backhaus, Noemie Lucas, Philip Wood, Petra Sijpesteijn, Ahmad Khan, Hugh Kennedy

Matthew Gordon, Maryam Laut, Jürgen Paul, Ludwig Paul, Fanny Bessard, Alison Vacca, Nils Purwins, Huda Subeh, Houda Backhaus, Noemie Lucas

Cyrille Aillet via Visioconference, Matthew Gordon, Peter Verkinderen, Fanny Bessard, Alison Vacca

Petra Sijpesteijn, Hannah-Lena Hagemann, Stefan Heidemann

Petra Sijpesteijn

Yacoov Lev, Hannah-Lena Hagemann, Stefan Heidemann, Luke Treadwell

Matthew Gordon, Ahmad Khan and Stefan Heidemann

Matthew Gordon

Philip Wood and Ahmad Khan

Reception: Peter Verkinderen

Reception: Ahmad Khan

Reception: Philip Wood and Amikam Elad

Reception: Yacoov Lev and Mrs. Lev

Reception: Mrs. Elad

Reception: Peter Verkinderen, Ludwig Paul

Reception: Matthew Gordon, Petra Sijpesteijn

Reception: Luke Treadwell

Reception: Matthew Gordon and Stefan Heidemann

Reception: Simon Gundelfinger and Hugh Kennedy

Reception: Noemie Lucas and Peter Verkinderen

Reception: Hugh Kennedy and Petra Sijpesteijn

Reception: Nils Purwins

Katharina Mewes, Matthew Gordon, Petra Sijpesteijn, Philip Wood, Jürgen Paul, Fanny Bessard, Matthias Naue, Huda Subeh, Constantine Canavas

Alison Vacca

Peter Verkinderen and Noemie Lucas

Hannah-Lena Hagemann, Katharina Mewes, Matthew Gordon

Luke Treadwell, Katharina Mewes and Jürgen Paul

Jürgen Paul and Simon Gundelfinger