What is it about?
In the year 865 the ruler of Muslim Spain, Emir Muhammad I, sent camels to Charles the Bald, the king of West Francia. This article explores the circumstances of this gift and asks what the camels meant to both Muhammad and Charles. It argues that the camels had a very different significance for the two monarchs, which were also intended as a means for both rulers to communicate with audiences at home as well as abroad.
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Why is it important?
This article seeks not only to illustrate the connections between the Islamic and the Carolingian worlds, but also to show the importance of understanding the specific context of gifts and other contact between different medieval cultures.
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Camels of Charles the Bald, Medieval Encounters, July 2019, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/15700674-12340046.
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