Power and the Elite in the Mamluk Sultanate: The Agency of awlād an-nās

This project explores the configuration and emic definition of elites in the Mamluk period and their agency to influence rule focusing on the awlād al-nās. A quantitative analysis of their short biographies allows to investigate 'career' and influence options, while a semantic study clarifies emic terminologies in the context of elite configuration. Thanks to comprehensive biographical source material, the project will be able to examine the norm and practice of elite interaction in a non-dynastic system of rule, focusing on one exemplary social group and making it available for transcultural comparison.