page_title: Economic history of the Arab world
section_title: Egypt
hierarchical_section_title: Economic history of the Arab world / Waqf / Egypt
caption_attribution_description: English: Tombs of the Mamluks, photo by Hatem Moushir العربية: بالترتيب من اليمين : (قبة السبع بنات - قبة برسباي البجاسي - قبة الامير سليمان - قبة عصفور) في قرافة المماليك ، تصوير حاتم مشير
context_page_description: Economic history of the Arab world addresses the history of economic activity in the Arabic-speaking countries and the stretching of my Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean in the southeast from the time of its origins in the Arabian peninsula and spread in the 7th century CE Muslim conquests and since.
  The regions conquered in the Muslim conquest included rich farming regions in the Maghreb, the Nile Valley and the Fertile Crescent. As is true of the world as a whole, agriculture dominated the economy until the modern period, with livestock grazing playing a particularly large role in the Arab world. Significant trade routes included the Silk Road, the spice trade, and the trade in gold, salt, slaves and luxury goods including ivory and feathers out of sub-Saharan Africa.
  Important pre-modern industries included tanning, pottery, and metalwork.
context_section_description: In Egypt, The Mamluks practiced Waqf, seeing it as a way of keeping their property safe from government hands and as a way of transferring the bulk of their wealth to their children, going around the laws that prevented this directly. This became problematic in the 14th century when soldiers in the Egyptian army were rewarded by giving them temporary fiefs. Many of these were turned into Waqfs by their owners however, meaning the Mamluk government could no longer reclaim them for redistribution. This would affect the size of the army. In 1378-79, Barquq argued this was causing harm to the state and used this as a justification for dissolving the agrarian Waqfs. Waqfs also served as a way for the Mamluk converts to Islam to demonstrate their faith by participating in it. It also provided a way for the Mamluk rulers to demonstrate their power and wealth.  Waqf would become more popular under the Ottoman rulers in later years.
caption: Tombs of the Mamluks
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