Diverse Civilizations Interact With Symbiotic :969-1171, Cairo

The exchange and interaction among civilizations began ever since human civilizations appeared. While being the promoting force of a certain civilization or society, the interchange and interaction of civilizations is motivating other civilizations or societies as well. The study of the interchange and interaction of civilizations is, therefore, the study of global history. The thesis aims at the exploration of the interchange and interactive mechanism and patterns among the Muslim, Christian and Jew of Cairo in the10~th-12~th century.The thesis is not a comprehensive study on the interchange and interaction among the above communities. Instead, it focuses on demonstrating the contents of the interaction at both the official and folk level for the purpose of exploring certain interaction mechanism or pattern. It studies the contexts of the interaction to uncover connections between Cairo and the contemporary Islamic World and Mediterranean Region as well.The thesis is made up of foreword, main body and concluding words. In foreword, one can find a brief introduction of the significance of the study and the relevant current research status both in China and abroad. It defines the time-limit and geographic region. The line of thought and research methodology are stated as well.The main body has seven chapters.Chapter one is about the historic changes of Cairo city, and it has a brief definition of a medieval city. Chapter two makes a rough narrative on the development of the community of Muslim, Christian and Jew in Cairo. These two chapters serve as the background of the core theme. Chapter three discusses the overall relationship between the three communities in the then Islamic World from10~th century to12~th century. It introduces some general interactive ideas, too.The essential part of the thesis is chapter four, five, six and seven. Chapter four is "the Cooperation in Commerce and Trade". Chapter five is "the Blend in Construction and Arts". Both argue the interaction in the visible fields of Cairo society. Chapter six is "the Common Festive Celebration". Chapter seven is "the Exchange in Language, Sciences, Ideology and Daily Life". Both examine the ideological interchange through the changes in festive celebration, language, thoughts and values. Each one of the above four chapters has an ending passage. It responds to the main theme of the thesis in the respectively discussed field. Together they reveal a fact that the Muslim, Christian and Jew coexisted through interaction during Fatimid Cairo (969-1171).The concluding words are composed of a brief review of the three communities interaction and a few reflections from this study. The essential point is that the three communities under the Fatimid regime have mutually experienced hostility, persecution, toleration and compromise. From time to time, they have reached a sort of mutual understanding. It was a process of interaction full of undeniable facts of restriction, persecution and even massacre as well as'peaceful coexistence and symbioses'. It showed less of the former than the latter.