Abstract
This thesis explores the role of Yemen, particularly under the Rasūlid dynasty (626/1228-858/1454) in the medieval Indian Ocean trade. I argue that the Rasūlids attempted to create an “imperial maritime space” wherein Yemen would be the imperial core, and the western Indian Ocean and Red Sea the subjugated peripheries. While the Rasūlids managed to organize state power towards their imperial project via diplomacy, military and naval expansion, and a robust and efficient bureaucracy, they never fully realized their goal of creating a thalassocratic empire in the western Indian Ocean. Nonetheless, medieval Yemen played a significant role in the political, social, and economic history of the Indian Ocean.
School
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department
Arab & Islamic Civilizations Department
Degree Name
MA in Arabic Studies
Graduation Date
Fall 12-15-2025
Submission Date
9-14-2025
First Advisor
Amina Elbendary
Committee Member 1
Nelly Hanna
Committee Member 2
Eleonora Fernandes
Extent
135 p.
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval
Not necessary for this item
Recommended Citation
APA Citation
Sjostedt, B.
(2025).Maritime Trade and Imperial Ambitions: Yemeni Politics and Trade in the Indian Ocean World (626/1228-858/1454) [Master's Thesis, the American University in Cairo]. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2580
MLA Citation
Sjostedt, Beck. Maritime Trade and Imperial Ambitions: Yemeni Politics and Trade in the Indian Ocean World (626/1228-858/1454). 2025. American University in Cairo, Master's Thesis. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2580
Included in
Arabic Studies Commons, Islamic World and Near East History Commons, Medieval History Commons