Most modern studies have portrayed the Mamluk period as that in which the Christian population of the Mamluk empire reached its demise. Two reasons are most often given for this situatoon: 1) the effect of the Crusades in arousing anti-Chrtstian sentiment and 2) the Mongol invasions to which several Christian powers gave active assistance. This study which is limited to the contemporary and later Arabic chronicles and which examines the reign of Qala'un as a case study for the Mamluk period, indicates that contrary to this view, no correlation exists between these two historical factors and the treatment of Christians in the Mamluk period during the relgn of Qala'un. In fact, the situation of the indigenous Christians seems to have been relatively stable. Those measures which were instituted were taken against a particular category of Christians, not against the populatlon as a whole. Not only do the Mamluks of this period seem to have distinguished between various Christian parties in their treatment of them, but a variety of opinion concerning Christians seems to have existed among various elements of the Muslim population as well. Furthermore, Mamluk policy at this period toward foreign Christian powers does not seem to have been motivated by purely religious considerations. Thus, our views concerning the Mamluk period must be revised to recognlze that, although the Mamluk period was certalnly a period of decline for Christianity, it should, nevertheless, not be described uniformly as being one of disaster for the Christian community.

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Text in Afrikaans / Die politieke struktuur van antieke Egipte en ons eie politieke geskiedenis het meegebring dat aspekte rakende die vrou, vir baie jare oor die hoof gesien was, veral in die literatuur. Met antieke Egipte, waar mans hoofsaaklik verantwoordelik vir die samestelling van geskrewe materiaal was, en in Suid-Afrika waar daar in navorsing meer op onderwerpe wat mans interesseer gefokus was, het daar soveel vrae rakende die vrou onbeantwoord gebly. Die mans kon nie, het nie of wou nie, verslag doen oor wat gedurende swangerskap en baring gebeur het nie. Met behulp van ‘n uitgebreide literatuurstudie (wat bronne uit die geskiedenis, argeologie, antropologie, medisyne, wetenskap, ikonografie, kunste, argitektuur, taalkunde, astronomie, sielkunde, mitologie, tuinbou ensovoorts ingesluit het) is ontdek dat daar, in antieke Egiptiese geskrifte en uitbeeldings, baie oor swangerskap en baring gekommunikeer is. Die inligting is net nie altyd in die konteks of plekke waar ‘n mens dit sou verwag nie. Manlike skrywers het argeologiese inligting vanuit hulle manlike verwysingsraamwerk geïnterpreteer. Die meerderheid inligting oor swangerskap en baring in antieke Egipte, is dus in die verlede òf oor die hoof gesien, òf dit is vanuit ‘n manlike perspektief geïnterpreteer. Belangrike betekenisse het so verlore geraak. Hierdie studie is onderneem om lig op swangerskap en baring in antieke Egipte te werp. ‘n Grondige kennis van die vroulike fisiologie en -denkpatrone is met ‘n uitgebreide studie van die gebruike, tradisies en gelowe van antieke Egipte gekombineer om die bestaande poel van kennis op te helder. / Due to the political structure of ancient Egypt, as well as in our own political history, female matters have been overlooked for many years, especially in literature. With ancient Egypt, where mainly men were responsible for written material, and in South Africa where research, in the past, focused mainly on topics of interest to men, many questions regarding women remained unanswered. Men could not, did not, or didn’t want to report on what happens during pregnancy and birth. The research of extensive literature sources (including historical, archaeological, anthropological, medical, scientific, iconographical, art, architectural, linguistic, astronomical, physiological, mythological, horticultural and other sources) indicates that the ancient Egyptian writings and depictions contained information about pregnancy and birth. In the past most information about pregnancy and birth in ancient Egypt was either overlooked or interpreted from a male perspective. Thus important meanings and interpretations got lost. The aim of this study is to shed light on pregnancy and birth in ancient Egypt. A current thorough knowledge of female physiology and thought patterns was combined with an extensive study of practices, traditions and beliefs in ancient Egypt to elucidate the existing pool of knowledge. / Biblical Archaeology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Biblical Archaeology)

Text in Afrikaans / Die politieke struktuur van antieke Egipte en ons eie politieke geskiedenis het meegebring dat aspekte rakende die vrou, vir baie jare oor die hoof gesien was, veral in die literatuur. Met antieke Egipte, waar mans hoofsaaklik verantwoordelik vir die samestelling van geskrewe materiaal was, en in Suid-Afrika waar daar in navorsing meer op onderwerpe wat mans interesseer gefokus was, het daar soveel vrae rakende die vrou onbeantwoord gebly. Die mans kon nie, het nie of wou nie, verslag doen oor wat gedurende swangerskap en baring gebeur het nie. Met behulp van ‘n uitgebreide literatuurstudie (wat bronne uit die geskiedenis, argeologie, antropologie, medisyne, wetenskap, ikonografie, kunste, argitektuur, taalkunde, astronomie, sielkunde, mitologie, tuinbou ensovoorts ingesluit het) is ontdek dat daar, in antieke Egiptiese geskrifte en uitbeeldings, baie oor swangerskap en baring gekommunikeer is. Die inligting is net nie altyd in die konteks of plekke waar ‘n mens dit sou verwag nie. Manlike skrywers het argeologiese inligting vanuit hulle manlike verwysingsraamwerk geïnterpreteer. Die meerderheid inligting oor swangerskap en baring in antieke Egipte, is dus in die verlede òf oor die hoof gesien, òf dit is vanuit ‘n manlike perspektief geïnterpreteer. Belangrike betekenisse het so verlore geraak. Hierdie studie is onderneem om lig op swangerskap en baring in antieke Egipte te werp. ‘n Grondige kennis van die vroulike fisiologie en -denkpatrone is met ‘n uitgebreide studie van die gebruike, tradisies en gelowe van antieke Egipte gekombineer om die bestaande poel van kennis op te helder. / Due to the political structure of ancient Egypt, as well as in our own political history, female matters have been overlooked for many years, especially in literature. With ancient Egypt, where mainly men were responsible for written material, and in South Africa where research, in the past, focused mainly on topics of interest to men, many questions regarding women remained unanswered. Men could not, did not, or didn’t want to report on what happens during pregnancy and birth. The research of extensive literature sources (including historical, archaeological, anthropological, medical, scientific, iconographical, art, architectural, linguistic, astronomical, physiological, mythological, horticultural and other sources) indicates that the ancient Egyptian writings and depictions contained information about pregnancy and birth. In the past most information about pregnancy and birth in ancient Egypt was either overlooked or interpreted from a male perspective. Thus important meanings and interpretations got lost. The aim of this study is to shed light on pregnancy and birth in ancient Egypt. A current thorough knowledge of female physiology and thought patterns was combined with an extensive study of practices, traditions and beliefs in ancient Egypt to elucidate the existing pool of knowledge. / Biblical Archaeology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Biblical Archaeology)

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The purpose of this thesis is to analyse the relationship between religion and revolution within the context of Egyptian Islamic culture. The discussion will begin with an investigation into the evolution of revolution as a concept, from its original scientific meaning within the writings of Copernicus to its current political meaning as a radical social break with the past. It will be argued that the revolutionary ideal of escaping fate and rationally constructing the future is the driving force behind the Modern era. Faith in the capacity of humanity for self-redemption could only arise after the scientific discoveries of the Renaissance began to disrupt the static metaphysical universe of the past. The concept of social development then arose in the Enlightenment as a quest for the liberation of reason so as to construct a new society free of myth and mystery. The discussion will then attempt to demonstrate that the culture of Egypt underwent a parallel philosophical development during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries due to the importation of modern technology. In order to prove this, the military reforms of Muhammad `Ali will be compared to Hobbe's concept of the Leviathan, the journalism of Muhammad `Abduh will be placed within the traditional Islamic debate concerning the ethical relationship between reason and revelation; the cult of nationalism will be contrasted with s&dotbelow;ufi mysticism; the social project of the Nasser regime will be interpreted in light of Rousseau's conception of the liberal social contract; and the thesis will conclude with a discussion of the thought of Sayyid Qutb in terms of the failure of Modernity to fulfil the promise of the Enlightenment.

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