Sunni `ulama and the reform of religious offices in medieval Egypt, 637--676 A.H./A.D. 1240--1277

This dissertation analyzes the stance the `ulama of the four Sunni madhahib took during the political confrontation between the Ayyubids and the Mamluks in the late Ayyubid and early Mamluk period, 637–676 A.H./A.D. 1240–1277. Struggles for power among members of the Ayyubid family, before the end of the Ayyubid sultanate led to political and social instability in both Egypt and Syria. Some of the Ayyubid descendants used every means available to gain particular support not only to strengthen their rule but also to defend the sovereignty of their sultanate from both internal challenges and external threats that took various forms during their rules. After he eventually managed to realize his ambition to rule Egypt, al-Salih Ayyub, in addition to consolidating his power via the purchase of Turkish mamluks, used the religious institutions to extend his patronage with the `ulama of all Sunni madhahib. His religious policy and the reforms that he initiated on the educational institutions left a lasting impact on further development of the four Sunni madhahib.;Not long after al-Salih Ayyub's death, the mamluks took over the sultanate during the political and military conflicts that broke out between his mamluks and other members of the Ayyubid family. The on-going political confrontations among the mamluks, as well as between the mamluk and other member of the Ayyubid family, and the critical demographical changes that followed the Mongol invasion did not allow the new rulers to effectively benefit from the contemporary political situation. In response to such an unfortunate situation, the Mamluks made some reforms in an attempt to cultivate the Sunni `ulama, whom they expected to help them create a peaceful situation. The reforms fulfilled a variety of social, political and religious functions. At the same time, these reforms challenged the Sunni `ulama to the new religious and judicial standings. This produced a new relationship between the `ulama of the four madhahib, and between the Sunni `ulama and the state.