Impact of Military Leaders and Arab Shuyūkh on Egyptian Farmers in the Burdjīd Mamlūks’ Era

Farmers were one of the lower social classes in the Mamlūks’ era. The following paper, after collecting data using desk study and documentary methods and research methods, based on the functional explanation concluded that granting Egyptian lands to Arab military leaders and Arab Shuyūkh had a negative effect on the lives of Egyptian farmers in the Burdjīd Mamlūks’ era. The results show that granting those lands adversely effected on the livelihood of Egyptian farmers. Since the military class was unaware of economic affairs and because of its dominance over the political-economic structure, its member were only occupied with their own interests, and therefore taken their decisions made situations for the farmers very difficult. Moreover, the Arab Shuyūkh, who gained a lot of land and, as a result, relative independence in order to control the political rivalries of their tribes with the ruling apparatus, inflicted irreparable damage on the government and exerted more pressure on the farmers too. Finally, these two factors gradually had the greatest impacts on the destruction of production, migration and revolts of farmers. Farmers were one of the lower social classes in the Mamlūks’ era. The following paper, after collecting data using desk study and documentary methods and research methods, based on the functional explanation concluded that granting Egyptian lands to Arab military leaders and Arab Shuyūkh had a negative effect on the lives of Egyptian farmers in the Burdjīd Mamlūks’ era. The results show that granting those lands adversely effected on the livelihood of Egyptian farmers. Since the military class was unaware of economic affairs and because of its dominance over the political-economic structure, its member were only occupied with their own interests, and therefore taken their decisions made situations for the farmers very difficult. Moreover, the Arab Shuyūkh, who gained a lot of land and, as a result, relative independence in order to control the political rivalries of their tribes with the ruling apparatus, inflicted irreparable damage on the government and exerted more pressure on the farmers too. Finally, these two factors gradually had the greatest impacts on the destruction of production, migration and revolts of farmers.