First I want to say how awesome this group is. Second, I want to know to what extent does Historical Materialism play in the role of the development of Islamic class structure before British Imperialism. I know that the Islamic nations had practiced capitalism long before the European nations did, and that the "Silk Road" through the middle east was probably the most vital trade center in the world, and whoever controlled it was very much a determiner in the course of international affairs at the time.
First I want to say how awesome this group is. Second, I want to know to what extent does Historical Materialism play in the role of the development of Islamic class structure before British Imperialism. I'm not sure what you mean by "Islamic" class structure. Amin notes the existence of multiple civilizations that later accepted Islam. He classifies those pre-capitalist civilizations as "tributary" instead of "feudal". I know that the Islamic nations had practiced capitalism long before the European nations did I'm not sure about the silk road etc being capitalist per se. The merchants of Venice and nearby Mediterranean cities did not see themselves as any different from the rest of the non-capitalist producers. But there is no doubt that it was ibn Rushd who first applied the rationality and partially secular world view of Hellenism to his theology, which was later taken up by the Jewish Maimonides and the Christian scholastics. This may be considered as reflective of early capitalist formations in the Islamic world.
I'm not sure what you mean by "Islamic" class structure. Amin notes the existence of multiple civilizations that later accepted Islam. He classifies those pre-capitalist civilizations as "tributary" instead of "feudal". what would be the difference between ''tributary'' and ''slavery''? or is ''tributary'' an intermediate stage between primitive communism and slavery ? or between slavery and feudalism ? i'v never heard of a ''tributary mode of production'' before.
