al-Rasail al-Harbiyya fi Asr al-Dawla al-Ayyubiyya
- Author died
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- Editions
- Majallat al-Jāmi‘ah al-Islāmīyah bi-al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah
al-Rasail al-Harbiyya fi Asr al-Dawla al-Ayyubiyya (Military Epistles in the Era of the Ayyubid State) is an academic study by Muhammad Naghash, assistant professor in the Faculty of Sharia at the Islamic University of Medina, exploring the administrative context, literary style, and historical significance of military correspondence during the Ayyubid period .
Purpose and Scope
The study examines military dispatches as vital primary documentation and strategic instruments of statecraft during the Ayyubid military campaigns against the Crusaders . Naghash characterizes these epistles as both detailed historical records of battles and psychological and informational instruments designed to project strength, demoralize opposing forces, and announce victories .
Structure and Contents
The work is organized into three main chapters (abwāb):
- Chapter One: Focuses on the administrative bureaus (dawāwīn) closely connected to the Ayyubid army . It details the functions of the chancery bureau (dīwān al-inshāʾ), the army bureau (dīwān al-jaysh), the fleet bureau (dīwān al-usṭūl), the prisoners bureau (dīwān al-asrā), and the postal bureau (dīwān al-barīd), along with the professional and personal qualifications required of bureau heads .
- Chapter Two: Examines the military letters composed during the reigns of key Ayyubid rulers, beginning with the dynasty's founder, Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi, and continuing through the reigns of al-Malik al-Aziz, al-Muazzam Turanshah, and al-Salih Ayyub . This section analyzes the preparation, epistolary formulas, and rhetorical style of these documents—particularly those drafted by the chief chancery official al-Qadi al-Fadil—covering major engagements such as the dismantling of Crusader fortifications and sieges of fortresses like al-Karak and al-Shawbak .
- Chapter Three: Presents a comparative evaluation between military prose epistles and contemporary poetry, analyzing how both mediums expressed collective sentiment and celebrated victories, notably the recapture of Jerusalem .
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