Caliphal Involvement in Water Provision in the Cities of the Early Abbasid Period
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Water management was crucial to the functioning of large early Islamic cities like Baghdad and Basra. In Abbasid-period sources, the caliph appears in multiple roles related to water management. This study investigates when and how caliphs became involved in water management during the early Abbasid period and examines these instances in light of the normative ideas communicated in taxation and governing manuals, among other sources. It also explores various factors that may have influenced caliphal decision-making with regard to water management.
Source: Journal of Abbasid Studies
Author: Josephine van den Bent
Institutions: Radboud University Nijmegen, University of Amsterdam
Language: English
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4410475110