Abstract Prof. Ahmad Khan
Ahmad Khan (The American University of Cairo)
Abstract: Law and Empire on 8th December 923
This paper assesses the relationship between the caliph and Islamic law in the late-ninth to tenth century. It considers the law's capacity to extend, limit, and articulate the reach of imperial authority. This contribution highlights the continuing relevance of the caliph as an agent and arbiter of Islamic law in the ninth-tenth centuries. It documents attempts by ʿAbbāsid caliphs to intervene in Islamic legal and social practices, thereby extending their sphere of influence through the law.