What's in a Name? The Mamluk Sultanate vs the Cairo Sultanate, Part 1

In this, our first episode, Kenneth Goudie introduces the podcast and explains why the term "Mamluk Sultanate", which refers to the political formation which dominated Egypt and Syria between 1250 and 1517, is not very helpful. To do so, he is joined by Professor Jo Van Steenbergen, who is at the forefront of revising how we understand this period. As explained in the podcast, the plan is not to provide a narrative history. For those who would like a little more context, we recommend the BBC's In Our Time episode on the Mamluks(https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03bfmlh). If you'd prefer to read a more detailed explanation of all of the ideas, look no further than these articles, which were co-authored by Jo Van Steenbergen: Van Steenbergen, Jo, Patrick Wing, and Kristof D’hulster. “The Mamlukization of the Mamluk Sultanate? State Formation and the History of Fifteenth Century Egypt and Syria: Part I - Old Problems and New Trends.” History Compass 14, no. 11 (November 2016): 549–59. https://doi.org/10.1111/hic3.12357. Van Steenbergen, Jo, Patrick Wing, and Kristof D’hulster. “The Mamlukization of the Mamluk Sultanate? State Formation and the History of Fifteenth Century Egypt and Syria: Part II - Comparative Solutions and a New Research Agenda.” History Compass 14, no. 11 (November 2016): 560–69. https://doi.org/10.1111/hic3.12358. --- All music by Yadayn, from the track "Adem" https://yadayn.bandcamp.com/