East-West Relations in the Islamic Mediterranean in the Early Eleventh Century: A Study in the Geniza Correspondence of the House of Ibn 'Awkal

485 Pages·1970·15.451 MB·English

by  Norman A. Stillman

70-25,738
STILLMAN, Norman Arthur, 1945-
EAST-WEST RELATIONS IN THE ISLAMIC MEDITERRANEAN
IN THE EARLY ELEVENTH CENTURY— A STUDY IN THE
GENIZA CORRESPONDENCE OF THE HOUSE OF IBN CAWKAL.
University of Pennsylvania, Ph.D., 1970
History, medieval
University Microfilms, A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan
S COPYRIGHT
Norman Arthur Stillman
1970
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
EAST-WEST RELATIONS IN THE ISLAMIC MEDITERRANEAN
IN THE EARLY ELEVENTH CENTURY— A STUDY IN
THE GENIZA CORRESPONDENCE OF THE
HOUSE OF IBN CAWKAL
Norman Arthur Stillman
A DISSERTATION
in
ORIENTAL STUDIES
Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School
of Arts and Sciences of the University of
Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
1970
Supervisor of Dissertation
Graduate Group Chairman
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This dissertation was prepared under the
guidance of my master and teacher, Professor S. D.
Goitein. It was he who introduced me to the world of
Islamic Studies and the Geniza, and it was he who sug­
gested the topic of this dissertation when I was still a
senior in college. The photostats and microfilms of the
documents upon which this work is based were available
to me from Professor Goitein*s private collection. I
have consulted him at virtually every stage of my work,
and he has continually upheld me with his Inspiration and
wisdom when my own footsteps faltered. Without his un­
stinting aid this work would not have been possible.
Needless to say, my profound indebtedness to
my teacher should in no way be construed as relieving me
of the sole responsibility for all errors, whether these
be sins of omission or commission.
I would like to express my gratitude to several
other individuals who have aided me in my work.
The following people provided me with certain
source materials which were not available here in Phila­
delphia: Mr. David King, Yale University; Mrs. Marc
iii
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
iv
Pomeranc, University of Chicago; and Miss Susan Spectorsky,
Columbia University*
Miss Jacqueline de Weever and Miss Spectorsky
were kind enough to read the final draft and final copy,
respectively, of this dissertation* Both made helpful
stylistic suggestions* My father took time from his busy
executive’s schedule to read the draft of Chapter V and
to discuss some of the business problems with me*
My mother typed most of the final draft, and
Mrs. Susan Frank typed the final copy of this disser­
tation. Both worked with the greatest perseverance at
this arduous task, despite other obligations, so that this
study could be presented, in an attractive form, at the
designated time. I am particularly grateful to Mrs. Frank
for her painstaking work on the tables.
Last, but by no means least, I wish to express
my Indebtedness to my wife and help-mate, Yedida. The
contents of this work have been enhanced more than once
by her insights. Most of the tables were set up with her
help. Because of her own accomplishments in Arabic and
Hebrew, she was able to check my references to the sources,
and in some cases make corrections. Above all, I know that
without her loving support, her tenderness, and her under­
standing, I would not have been able to complete this
undertaking.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
INDEX
Owing to the frequency of their occurrences, the
following have not been indexed: dinars, dirhems, Jews,
and Mediterranean.
Aaron b« Ephraim b. Tar son (cantoi), 59
Abbasid(s), 22
°Abd al-cAziz, 20
°Abd b. Hisham (qadl), 324
°Abd al-Malik (Umayyad caliph)% 20
°Abd al-Malik al-Muzaffar, 10
• 9
cAbd al-Rahman (founder of the Spanish Umayyads), 22
CAbd al-Rafcman Sanchuelo, lO
°Abdun al-Nashsha, 413
Abraham (a workman), 364, 369
Abraham b. Joseph, 73» 78, 117t 392, 393» 394
Abraham b. Samljun, 266
Abramson, S., 64
Abu *l-ACla Samuel, 231-232
Abu °A1I b. al-Jaluza (shipowner), 412, 414
Abu cAlI gasan al-Tustarl, 55
Abu Bakr (Ibn Rustam's agent), 314, 316
Abu Bakr b. cAbd al-Rahman (Jurist), 26
v
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Vi
Abu Brahlm Isftaq b. Dawud b. al-Fakhkhlr, 390
Abu •1-Fadl Salih al-Tahertl, 212
Abu *1-Fadl al-Dlmashqi, 68, 69, 83, 98, 99* 110-111, 167
Abu •1-Fadl Hakim, 381
Abu *1-Faraj (cousin of Joseph b» Berekhya), 204
Abu *1-Faraj b. Khalluf, 306
Abu Harun, 381
Abu •1-Hayy b« Khalila, 139, 333, 402, 404, 405
Abu Ibrahim Ishaq b. al-Sahl, 208, 218, 221-222, 231
Abu Ibrahim Isma°Il al-Taherti, 65, 106, 108, 112, 113*
196, 209-212, 249, 253
Abu clmran al-FasI (jurist), 26, 219
Abu Ishaq (associate of Ibn cAllan), 413
Abu Ishaq al-Hatib, 351
Abu Kathlr Ephraim, 344
Abu *1-Khayr b. Barakat, 316
Abu '1-Khayr Kusa al-Tahertl, 65* 157* 198, 202, 210-212,
270, 383-364, 368
Abu *1-Macall, 59
Abu Nasr al-Tustarl, 4, 40, 51-52, 249, 344, 392
Abu Qalamun (precious fabric), 110, 144, 155*
Abu Qir, 305
Abu Sa°d al-Tustarl, 4, 39-40, 45, 55, 249
Abu SacId Maymun b. Ephraim, 222
Abu ‘l-Surur Isaac al-Tahertl, 268
Abu Ya°qub Nahshon (?), 213
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
vll
Abu Yacqub Yusuf, 342
Abu Yusuf b. Yahya, 343
Abu ZlkrI Judah b. Joseph, 212, 238-239, 242, 243
Academies (Babylonian and Palestinian), 26, 31, 32, 33,
34, 40, 43, 45, 48, 56, 60, 61, 62, 63, 65, 66, 67,
30, 192, 194, 195, 197, 208-212, 226-228, 243, 249,
349* See also Pumbeditha and Sura
cAdliyya dirhems, 113, 146
Aghlabid(s), 5, 22
Ahmad Qasandalas, 412
Aleppo, 11
Alexandria, 53, 71, 75, 78, 80, 85, 94, 103, 115, 116,
117, 118, 120, 121, 122, 128, 129, 132, 139, 141,
142, 147, 148, 149, 150, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156,
157, 159, 160, 293, 303, 305, 314, 321, 323, 349-350,
352, 356, 358-359, 404, 405, 410
Algeria, 5 n. 12
®AlI b. Abi Talib, 22.
cAlI al-Afrwal, 358
Allttf, 38, 61, 62, 63, 64, 238
Almeria, 196, 199
Alvaro, 24
Amalfi(tan, -s), 14, 15-16
Ambergris, 141
cA*airid(s), 9-10
°Ammar (a courier), 294, 296, 356, 358
amsar, 23
°Amta, 90
cAmtanI indigo, 90, 113, 135, 334
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
viil
al-Andalus, 9-11. See also Spain
Aoulia, 325, 329 n. 26
Arabic language. 23-25* 29, 170, 173-188, 200. See
also Middle Arabic
Arabic poetry, 26-27* 101, 173
Arabic script, 58, 74, 75, 173 n 6, 213, 275, 284, 309,
326, 336, 370
Arabs, 15, 20, 21, 23, 24, 29, 103, 118, 122
Arnolfinl, 166
Aromatics, 100-103, 141
ashab al-khllac, 39
Ashirians, 209
Ashmunayn, 326, 386
Ashmuni flax, 83, 129, 334
al-Ashqar (a courier), 316
Ashtor, E., 36
Asia Minor, 105, 106
Asphalt, 159, 306
Assaf, S., 172, 238
Av Bet Din, 60, 228, 231, 232
cAziza (perhaps a cousin of Joseph b. cAwkal), 49
cAzIziyya dinars, 146, 268
Babylonian(s), 33, 37, 41, 42, 45, 56, 57, 60, 61, 62,
65. 192, 194, 195, 197, 226, 195. See also
Iraq(ians)
Badis b. al-Mansur (Zirid sultan), 43, 194, 195, 201, 108.
Baghdad, 3, 5, 37, 38, 40, 43, 50
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
ix
Bahiyya b. Joseph b. cAwkal, 52
Bale(s). See °ldl
Baneth, D. Z., 185
Banu Hilal, 6, 8, 16, 42, 45, l66
Banu Sulaym, 16, 166
BaqI b. Makhlad al-Qurtubl (Jurist), 26
baraka, 3^2, n. 3
Barhun al-Tahertl, 196, 250
Baron, Salo, 30
Barqa, 5 n. 12, 19
barqalo(s), 85, 86, 116, 128, 297, 298, 307
Basil II (Byzantine emperor), 11
Bedouin(s), 2, 6, 17, 45, 185
Ben Daniel, 228, 231
Belts, 125, 159
Benjamin of Tudela, 36
Berber(s), 6, 19, 21, 24, 25, 283, 331
Bible, 33, 188, 199
Blau, Joshua, 174, 182, 185
Book of the Prefect, 13
Brazilwood, 76, 91-93, 97, 98, 137, 267, 270-271, 308,
33^
Bribes, 87, 130
Brocade, 125, 144, 155, 298
Bulgaria, 12
Bu Mllh, 159
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
z
Bunana (a sailor), 159, 316
Busir, 70, 362, 365, 366, 379
Bufirl flax, 83, 128, 129, 308, 334
Byzantine(s), 2, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 30, l6l,
164, 260, 293
Byzantine Empire, See Byzantium
Byzantium, 2, 11-14, 16, 17, 30, 34, 70, 122
Cairo (Cairene), 4, 8, 27, 33, 47, 55, 57, 58, 59, 60,
70, 72, 109, 112, 388
Camphor, 101-102, 1^1, 334
Caravans, 6, 81, 146, 198, 205 nn, 1-2, 208, 209, 214 n, 2,
220, 252, 266, 268, 288-289
Caraway loaves, 159, 359
Caraway seed, 140, 341, 344
Carmathians, 2
Case endings, 182-183, 186
Central Asia, 29, 107
Cheese, 324, 359
China, 101, 102, 107
Christlan(s), 9, 16, 24, 70, 331
Citarella, Armand, 16
Cloth. See Textiles
Coins, 111, 112-114, 146-148, 390-392
Commercial Revolution, 1, 47, l6l
Constantinople, 12, 13, 15
Copper, 78, 114-115, 149
Corals, 116, 159
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.