Political Culture in the Latin West, Byzantium and the Islamic World, c.700–c.1500 Book contents
- Political Culture in the Latin West, Byzantium and the Islamic World, c.700–c.1500
- Political Culture in the Latin West, Byzantium and the Islamic World, c.700–c.1500
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures and Maps
- Contributors
- Preface and Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- General Maps
- 1 Political Culture in Three Spheres
- 2 Reflections on Political Culture in Three Spheres
- Part I Sources
- 3 Comparing the Three Spheres through the Prism of the Sources
- 4 The Latin West
- 5 Byzantium
- 6 The Islamic World
- Part II Historical Contexts
- Part III Norms, Values and Their Propagation
- Part IV Practice and Organisation
- Part V Conclusions
- Appendix
- Glossary
- Index
3 - Comparing the Three Spheres through the Prism of the Sources
from Part I - Sources
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 August 2021
- Political Culture in the Latin West, Byzantium and the Islamic World, c.700–c.1500
- Political Culture in the Latin West, Byzantium and the Islamic World, c.700–c.1500
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures and Maps
- Contributors
- Preface and Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- General Maps
- 1 Political Culture in Three Spheres
- 2 Reflections on Political Culture in Three Spheres
- Part I Sources
- 3 Comparing the Three Spheres through the Prism of the Sources
- 4 The Latin West
- 5 Byzantium
- 6 The Islamic World
- Part II Historical Contexts
- Part III Norms, Values and Their Propagation
- Part IV Practice and Organisation
- Part V Conclusions
- Appendix
- Glossary
- Index
Summary
This chapter considers the differences between the sources available for our three spheres (the Latin west, Byzantium and the Islamic world), notably the unevenness of source survival. It attempts to explain why surviving western archives are so abundant in comparison with those of the other two spheres. This has to do with the concern to preserve records of property rights in the west and the interconnections between landed families and ecclesiastical institutions. Petitioning is another area where surviving western sources can help illuminate the dynamics of political culture which existed, but for which fewer records survive, in the other two spheres; what petitions tell us about monarchical authority and expectations of the ruler by those governed; and the relationship of the ruler to the law and law-making.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Political Culture in the Latin West, Byzantium and the Islamic World, c.700–c.1500A Framework for Comparing Three Spheres, pp. 31 - 37Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021