'Mamlukisation' between social theory and social practice: an essay on reflexivity, state formation, and the late medieval sultanate of Cairo

This working paper is a reflexive essay that tries to think with and beyond one of the basic assumptions upon which the field of late medieval Syro-Egyptian ‘Mamluk’ studies is built: the idea that all late medieval Syro-Egyptian objects of study are by default first and foremost connected, circumscribed and distinguished by some agency of dominant military slavery, of Mamluk-ness. Acknowledging that there may be different ways to pursue such an epistemological exercise, this essay opts for re-imagining the historical agency of what traditionally tends to be subsumed under the phenomenon of the Mamluk state. It is argued that the notions of state in modern research and of dawla in contemporary texts remain an issue of related analytical confusion. Engaging with this confusion in the generalising fashion of a historical sociology of late medieval Syro-Egyptian political action, this essay proposes an alternative analytical model that is inspired by Michael Chamberlain’s prioritisation of social practices of household reproduction and by Timothy Mitchell’s related understanding of the state as a structural effect of practices of social differentiation. The proposed model sees sultanic political order —the state— as process, in constant flux as the structural effect and structuring embodiment of constantly changing practices of social reproduction, of elite integration and of political distinction, in contexts that range between multipolar and unipolar social organisation at and around Cairo’s court and its military elites. The essay ends with summarily suggesting from this model how the socio-culturally structured and structuring memories of dynastic political order that had remained politically dominant for most of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries were all but obliterated in the fifteenth century by a new layer of particularly ‘Mamluk’ socio-political meaning

Historical prerequisites for the formation of the foundations of the modern humanitarian policy of Ukraine

The purpose of the research is to study рistorical background of formation of basements of contemporary humanitarian policy of Ukraine. The subject of the study is the humanitarian policy of Ukraine at different times of the development of the country. Methodology. The following methods of scientific knowledge helped to achieve the objectives set in the Article: logical modeling, logical and semantic, historical and legal, comparative analysis, abstract and logical. Research results. The legal instruments, which determined the principles of policy in the humanitarian sphere of various state systems on the territory of modern Ukraine in historical retrospect are considered. Considerable attention is paid to problems and difficulties, as well as approaches to the periodization of the history of the state and law in Ukraine, the periods of policy implementation in the humanitarian sphere on the Ukrainian lands at different times. Practical implementation. The peculiarities of the historical aspects of the formation of Ukraine’s humanitarian policy, which are related to long stateless periods, when Ukraine was part of the state systems of various empires, are determined. Value/originality. It is proven that the Soviet period of totalitarianism could not destroy the progressive assets of the Ukrainian people in matters of State formation according to the Western model

Tree transducers, L systems, and two-way machines

A relationship between parallel rewriting systems and two-way machines is investigated. Restrictions on the “copying power” of these devices endow them with rich structuring and give insight into the issues of determinism, parallelism, and copying. Among the parallel rewriting systems considered are the top-down tree transducer; the generalized syntax-directed translation scheme and the ETOL system, and among the two-way machines are the tree-walking automaton, the two-way finite-state transducer, and (generalizations of) the one-way checking stack automaton. The. relationship of these devices to macro grammars is also considered. An effort is made .to provide a systematic survey of a number of existing results

Master index

Pla general, del mural ceràmic que decora una de les parets del vestíbul de la Facultat de Química de la UB. El mural representa diversos símbols relacionats amb la química

The best of them that speak this speech : language and empire in William Skakespeare`s the tempest

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e ExpressãoJá em 1486 e 1492, Antonio de Nebrija e o Bispo de Ávila, bem como Nicolò Maquiavel, em 1513, perceberam a relação entre linguagem e império. A presente dissertação examina essa relação, com ênfase no efetivo processo de colonização de um povo e seu território. Seguindo Alfredo Bosi, entendo colonialismo como um processo totalitário que afeta o presente, o passado e o futuro, assim como os níveis físico e metafísico. Minha hipótese é que um processo de colonização pode ser percebido em A Tempestade de William Shaskespeare e que o domínio sobre a linguagem é um fator decisivo para esse processo. Minha análise baseia-se, principalmente, na teoria e crítica literária pós-colonial. No Capítulo I, faço uma revisão geral da crítica produzida sobre A Tempestade, desde a Restauração até os dias de hoje, que, de uma forma ou de outra, lida com as questões de imperialismo e colonialismo. No Capítulo II, aponto, em um panorama assimétrico de confronto cultural, o que considero importantes implicações temáticas e interpretativas acerca da suposta ausência de linguagem de Caliban. No Capítulo III, trabalho com o efetivo processo de colonização de Caliban e sua ilha por parte de Prospero e Miranda, o que causa seu desapossamento e sua escravização. No Capítulo IV, analiso algumas apropriações caribenhas da peça (The Pleasures of Exile de George Lamming, Une Tempête de Aimé Césaire, "Caliban" de Edward Brathwaite e Caliban de Roberto Fernández Retamar), apontando como esses autores lidam com essa relação entre linguagem e imperialismo, já em um contexto pós-colonial. Na conclusão, demonstro que um processo de colonização pode, de fato, ser percebido em A Tempestade e que a assimilação de uma língua européia é crucial para esse processo. Através da análise de algumas apropriações de A Tempestade, reforço a noção de que é também necessariamente através da linguagem que Caliban pode livrar-se da colonização de Prospero e Miranda, reconstruindo sua própria identidade

La politique étrangère de la Serbie (1844-1867): Načertanije d'Ilija Garašanin

Special editions 128. Institute for Balkan Studies, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts

The Philippines: breakthrough in Mindanao

The next round of talks between the Philippines\u27 largest Muslim insurgent group and the government is a crucial step towards implementing a sweeping peace agreement signed in October. This report from the International Crisis Group, examines how the pact signed by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the government of President Benigno Aquino III on 15 October 2012 is a breakthrough in many ways, but is far from a final peace. As with earlier texts reached during years of negotiations, this one – the “framework agreement” – defers several tough questions. At stake is the creation of a genuinely autonomous region in Muslim-majority Mindanao and the adjacent Sulu archipelago for the various ethnic groups collectively known as the Bangsamoro, with more powers, more territory and more control over resources. The pact envisions a new government for the troubled Muslim south that would raise its own revenues and have its own police and judiciary. It maps out a multi-step process to create this new entity by the time President Aquino’s term ends in 2016. The obstacles ahead are huge. Politics in Mindanao or Manila could get in the way, and it may be impossible to devolve sufficient power to the Bangsamoro government without running afoul of the constitution. The 12,000-strong MILF is unlikely to surrender its arms until the process is complete. Peace talks began in 1997. They have moved glacially ever since and were interrupted three times by serious fighting. The breakdown in 2008 had damaging political implications because it hardened the positions of all stakeholders on critical elements of a final peace. At that time, the MILF and the government were ready to sign a similarly ambitious agreement. But it collapsed under pressure from other, more powerful interests, and a Supreme Court ruling declared the terms unconstitutional. The controversy centred on provisions outlining the territory of a new Bangsamoro homeland, which were highly favourable to the MILF. It was difficult to get the peace process back on track afterwards. The framework agreement is remarkable for two reasons. First, the negotiators devised a different formula for determining which areas would be under a new Bangsamoro government. The process envisioned is risky for the MILF, but is politically and constitutionally watertight in the eyes of the Aquino administration. It guarantees all Bangsamoro a chance to decide whether they accept the terms of a final peace. Second, the pact makes it clear that the current, deeply dysfunctional autonomous region will at last be replaced, raising hopes of better governance in the poorest area of the Philippines. Negotiations are continuing on tricky issues such as policing and taxation. Once these conclude, the hard part – implementation – will begin. If the process stalls at any stage, it may be difficult for the MILF leadership to control its commanders and retain popular support

Bringing methodology to the fore: The Anglo-Georgian Expedition to Nokalakevi

The Anglo-Georgian Expedition to Nokalakevi has been working in Samegrelo, Georgia, since 2001, building on the work carried out by archaeologists from the S. Janashia Museum since 1973. The expedition has trained nearly 250 Georgian and British students in modern archaeological methodology since 2001, and over that same period Georgia has changed enormously, both politically and in its approach to cultural heritage. This paper seeks to contextualise the recent contribution of British archaeological methodology to the rich history of archaeological work in Georgia, and to consider the emergence of a dynamic cultural heritage sector within Georgia since 2004