Notes on the Ahl Al-Diwan: The Arab-Egyptian Army of the Seventh Through the Ninth Centuries C.E (Report‪)‬

In his foundational study of caliphal armies, Hugh Kennedy provided a thorough, interpretative framework for the profuse evidence relating to the early Islamic military establishment. (1) Repeatedly, however, he necessarily emphasized the tentative nature of the sources in general, but particularly those pertaining to Egypt, which are in several respects inconclusive, sparse, or demonstrative of idiosyncratic tendencies. Here the intent is to refine the discussion relating to the Egyptian army by contextualizing the Ahl al-Diwan, the chief Arab military force in the province from the late seventh through the early ninth centuries C.E. (2) Generally, when referring to soldiers, early Arabic sources employ the generic term muqatila, but jund and 'askar are also used. Specific regiments are further identified through a number of constructions that focus on either the geographical origin of the troops (e.g., Ahl al-Sham) or the name of the commanding general (e.g., al-Hafsiyya). (3) Egyptian sources, particularly al-Kindi's Kitab al-Wulat, frequently reference regional troops that are identified as the Ahl al-Diwan (4) (also called Ahl Misr). (5) Typically, the Ahl al-Diwan designation is lacking in the works of non-Egyptian authors such as Yaqut and al-Tabari, who fail to document many of the pivotal events that enable an historical assessment of this martial force. (6)