Egypt in the Middle Ages

Period of Egyptian history from 639 to 1517 The history of Egypt in the Middle Ages can be roughly defined from the 7th to the 16th century AD. Egypt was transformed from a province into an individual monarchy, though it operated as an Islamic caliphate, sultanate, and emirate. Following the Islamic conquest in 641–642, Lower Egypt was ruled at first by governors acting in the name of the Rashidun Caliphs and then the Umayyad Caliphs in Damascus, but in 750 the Umayyads were overthrown. Throughout Islamic rule, Askar was named the capital and housed the ruling administration. The conquest led to two separate provinces all under one ruler: Upper and Lower Egypt. These two very distinct regions were governed by the military and followed the demands handed down by the governor of Egypt and imposed by the heads of their communities. Egypt was ruled by many dynasties from the start of Islamic control in 639, shifting to local military rule from the 9th century until the early 16th century. The Umayyad period lasted from 658 to 750. The Abbasid period which came after was much more focused on taxes and centralizing power. An era characterized by local conflicts with Egyptians exemplifi