THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE SOCIO-POLITICAL LIFE OF THE MEDIEVAL MUSLIM EAST ON THE EXAMPLE OF SHAJARAT AD-DURR

Gubareva Alexandra Igorevna

The article is devoted to the topical problem of the role of women in the history of the medieval East. The name Shajarat ad-Durr (translated from Arabic as «Tree of Pearls» or «Pearl Tree») is associated with a whole era in the history of the countries of North Africa and the Middle East, which were affected by the influence of the Mamluk Empire – a unique in form and inimitable in historical content period of the reign of warriors-slaves in Egypt (from 1250 AD to the middle of the XIX century). The research goal is to identify the role of women in the history of the Muslim countries of the East. The research objectives were to analyze the main points of view on the role of women in history as a whole, as well as to systematize the historical facts of the biography of the female ruler Shajarat ad-Durr. The research methodology includes the methods of the general scientific group (analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction), as well as a number of special methods: historiographical analysis of scientific literature on the topic under study, the method of historical retrospection. Based on the results, the author concluded that the role by Shajarat ad-Durr – the female commander and ruler remains underestimated in the political history of Egypt. This historical figure allows us to assert that, despite the orthodox postulates of the Islamic religion, the role of women in the history of the country can be very significant because with Shajarat al-Durr in Egypt the era of Mamluk’s sultans the rule began.

Keywords:history, Egypt, Shajarat al-Durr, Mamluk Empire, sultanate.