Les secrétaires nestoriens à Bagdad (762-1258 AD)
Description:... Since its foundation in 762 by the caliph al-Mansûr, Baghdad was a cosmopolitan capital where functionaries and Christian scholars played a major role. The secretary, or kâtib, was a functionary, a private advisor, a calligrapher, a cultural model and a faithful servant occupying positions of trust in the caliphate's administration. In this study, the author evaluates the role of Nestorian secretaries in Abbasid society, going beyond the sociological and cultural context, and explaining the methods and techniques of the scribes and the administration. In addition, the author considers the Nestorian secretaries' status as dhimmis in their society. As auxiliaries of Islamic power and as special intermediaries of the Nestorian community, their role sheds light on Islamic-Christian relations during the classical age of Islam.
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