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AboutAccessible history of the formation of Islam and the first hundred years of Muslim rule in EgyptExamines a corpus of previously unknown Arabic papyrus lettersIllustrated with 35 black and white platesShaping a Muslim State provides a synthetic study of the political, social, and economic processes which formed early Islamic Egypt. Looking at a corpus of previously unknown Arabic papyrus letters, dating from between AD 730 and 750, which were written to a Muslim administrator and merchant in the Fayyum oasis in Egypt, Sijpesteijn examines the reasons for the success of the early Arab conquests and the transition from the pre-Islamic Byzantine system and its Egyptian executors to an Arab/Muslim state.By examining the impact of Islam on the daily lives of those living under its rule, the volume highlights the striking newness of Islamic society while also acknowledging the influence of the ancient societies which preceded it. The book applies theoretical discussions about governance, historiography, (social) linguistics, and source criticism to understand the dynamics of early Islamic Egypt, as well as the larger process of state formation in the Islamic world.&#160;Readership: For students and scholars interested in classical and Byzantine studies, ancient history, and the history of Islam and the Islamic Empire.Table of contentsAcknowledgementsNote on Editions, Dates, and ReferencesList of MapsList of PlatesIntroductionPart I: Discussion1: The Egyptian context: Geography and History2: Arab Egypt: The first fifty years3: The Second Fifty Years: Consolidation and Reform4: Beyond Words5: ConclusionPART II: The TextsNote on the Orthography and Grammar of the PapyriLetters to 'Abd Allah b. As'ad from Najid b. MuslimOther Letters to 'Abd Allah b. As'adLetter from 'Abd Allah b. As'adLetters from/Related to Najid b. MuslimBibliographyIndexAuthor informationsPetra M. Sijpesteijn, Professor of Arabic Language and Culture, Leiden University&#160;&#160;Petra Sijpesteijn is Professor of Arabic Language and Culture at Leiden University. Her research focuses on the transition from Late Antiquity to early Islam in Egypt.