The Elaborate Egyptian Commercial System of the Seventh to Tenth Centuries

Summary

The Egyptian commercial system was complex and sophisticated from 650 to 1000, driven by the continuous urban demand for food and artisanal goods. The Aswan hegemony established an exchange hierarchy for ceramics, while cloth production was associated with local centers like Tinnis and Qus. Luxury goods such as papyrus and pearls remained in demand alongside goods like flax, linen cloth, and sugar, which Egypt began exporting in the tenth century. Although external trade increased, most Egyptian commerce remained internal, with each region’s economic history from the seventh to tenth centuries sharing structural elements in common. The fragmentation of the Roman empire had implications for Mediterranean trade, with bulk trade in food and artisanal goods disappearing in the eighth century. However, luxury trade remained marginal, and in the tenth century, the Mediterranean trade cycle began properly.

Table of Contents

• The Aswan Hegemony and Exchange Hierarchy
• Cloth Production and Local Centers
• Luxury Goods and Flax Exports
• Internal Commerce and Structural Elements
• Mediterranean Trade and the Roman Empire

Q&A

Q: Why was the Egyptian commercial system so elaborate during this period?

A: The Egyptian commercial system was driven by the continuous urban demand for food and artisanal goods. As a result, there was a complex network of exchanges involved in meeting this demand, ranging from the Aswan hegemony’s establishment of an exchange hierarchy for ceramics to the reliance on local centers for cloth production such as Tinnis and Qus.

Q: What were some of the luxury goods in demand during this period?

A: Besides food and artisanal goods, luxury goods such as papyrus and pearls remained in demand. However, Egypt began exporting goods such as flax, linen cloth, and sugar in the tenth century, which led to larger-scale investment in artisanal production.

Q: Was external trade a significant factor in the Egyptian commercial system?

A: Although Egypt began exporting goods in the tenth century, most Egyptian commerce remained internal. The economic history of each region between the seventh and tenth centuries shared structural elements in common, with the state compensating for temporary weakening of local aristocratic wealth as a motor of exchange.

Q: What effect did the fragmentation of the Roman empire have on Mediterranean trade?

A: The fragmentation of the Roman empire led to a decrease in Mediterranean exchange, with bulk trade in food and artisanal goods disappearing by the eighth century. However, luxury trade remained marginal, and in the ninth century, there was a slow reversal as Venice and the Adriatic route expanded, and the Tunisian conquest of Sicily allowed for more movement. In the tenth century, the Mediterranean trade cycle began properly.

Q: How did each region’s economic history differ during this period?

A: Each region between the seventh and tenth centuries shared structural elements in common, such as the state compensating for temporary weakening of local aristocratic wealth as a motor of exchange. However, the economic history of each region differed significantly. In Syria, aristocracies stayed prosperous until 750, after which local foci of prosperity slipped, but a fiscal-led integration of regional commerce developed. In Iraq, both aristocracies and the state increased their force in the late eighth century, setting the region up as a major agrarian, artisanal, and commercial focus for a century and a half.

Conclusion

In conclusion, from 650 to 1000, the Egyptian commercial system was characterized by a complex and sophisticated network of exchanges driven by the continuous urban demand for food and artisanal goods. The Aswan hegemony established an exchange hierarchy for ceramics, and cloth production was associated with local centers like Tinnis and Qus. Although luxury goods remained in demand, Egypt began exporting goods such as flax, linen cloth, and sugar in the tenth century, which led to larger-scale investment in artisanal production. However, despite the increase in external trade, most Egyptian commerce remained internal. The economic history of each region between the seventh and tenth centuries shared structural elements in common, with each state compensating for temporary weakening of local aristocratic wealth as a motor of exchange. The fragmentation of the Roman empire had implications for Mediterranean trade, with bulk trade in food and artisanal goods disappearing in the eighth century. Nonetheless, luxury trade remained marginal, and in the tenth century, the Mediterranean trade cycle began properly, with more complex and symbiotic commercial relationships.