This concise revisionist account of the historical evolution of Islamic
society goes beyond the caliph and the capital. The author abandons the
historian's habit of viewing Islamic history from the centre, that is,
focusing on the rise and fall of imperial dynasties. Instead, he derives
a more accurate understanding of how and why Islam became - and
continues to be - so rooted in the social structure of the vast majority
of people who lived far from the political centre and did not see the
caliphate as essential in their lives.