Islamic Society in The 12th Century
The autobiography has a lot to say about the material culture of the time. It describes the wealthier members of the society, the houses people lived in, their clothes and some of the possessions and which material goods were valued highly. There is much detail on military society as Usāmah was involved in many battles against Christians and fellow Muslims. It can give us an idea of the internal political structure as Usāmah served under the Fatimid court in Egypt and under Nur al-Din. Usāmah provides information on medical practices, religion and hunting, and talks of attitudes towards the Christian crusaders.
Read more about this topic: Kitab Al-I'tibar
Famous quotes containing the words society and/or century:
“The distractions, the exhaustions, the savage noises, the demands of town life, are, for me, mortal enemies to thought, to sleep, and to study; its extremes of squalor and of splendor do not stimulate, but sadden me; certain phases of its society I profoundly value, but would sacrifice them to the heaven of country quiet, if I had to choose between.”
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“The great man knew not that he was great. It took a century or two for that fact to appear. What he did, he did because he must; it was the most natural thing in the world, and grew out of the circumstances of the moment. But now, every thing he did, even to the lifting of his finger or the eating of bread, looks large, all-related, and is called an institution.”
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