Population of Fatimid Egypt?

I am writing a TL where Fatimid Egypt plays a role, and it would be very helpful if anyone has a population estimate for that (circa 1000 CE). Wikipedia gives an uncited figure of 6.2 million for some uncertain point in time for the entire Fatimid Caliphate, which is neither too trustworthy or useful.

Also (and somewhat unrelatedly), does Anatolia having 9 million people at the same time frame make sense, or does that figure have to be pushed down by a lot?
 
I am writing a TL where Fatimid Egypt plays a role, and it would be very helpful if anyone has a population estimate for that (circa 1000 CE). Wikipedia gives an uncited figure of 6.2 million for some uncertain point in time for the entire Fatimid Caliphate, which is neither too trustworthy or useful.

Also (and somewhat unrelatedly), does Anatolia having 9 million people at the same time frame make sense, or does that figure have to be pushed down by a lot?


Which year are you looking for?
 
Circa 1000 CE, although I would be happy with anything in the 950-1050 range as I assume there will be no massive fluctuations.
 
Ok so for 1000-1050 (before a series of famines in southern Egypt) I have seen estimates varying from 4 million to 6 million. Mind you the total population of the Middle East in 1000 was some where in the low 20 million range.

Just an aside, new information on these things usually comes out over time and in general and imo demographics at certain points are very shaky field and are mainly based on burial numbers and then using calculations that I can't fathom, such as Fustat-Cairo was estimated at around 620k~ in 1220.
 
Thanks a lot! Yeah, this information is very helpful. I'll go with 5 million for my TL then, these figures help quite a bit. Demographics are shaky, but having some information is better than none :)

(How do you define ME for the 20 million figure though? Does that include Byzantine Anatolia?)

Thanks again for all the help, really appreciate the data!
 
Thanks a lot! Yeah, this information is very helpful. I'll go with 5 million for my TL then, these figures help quite a bit. Demographics are shaky, but having some information is better than none :)

(How do you define ME for the 20 million figure though? Does that include Byzantine Anatolia?)

Thanks again for all the help, really appreciate the data!


It was the conservative figure for the population of the Abbasid Caliphate. But, the numbers for this I would have to study further on to come to a concise conclusion.
 
It was the conservative figure for the population of the Abbasid Caliphate. But, the numbers for this I would have to study further on to come to a concise conclusion.

No, it's fine-probably will not need more data on that front. That means Anatolia is effectively out, and so all of it makes a great deal of sense. Thanks again for the detailed information!
 
Anytime. Will be interested in the future and aim at this Fatimid timeline.

Uh, the TL actually doesn't focus too much on the Fatimids (its a Byzantine one starting in 976) and the time of the Fatimids is kind of already up in the TL. Sorry :(

(The TL is given in my sig, but I have a feeling you will not like it at all. It is contrived to be a horrifying dystopia with a surviving Byzantium).
 
Uh, the TL actually doesn't focus too much on the Fatimids (its a Byzantine one starting in 976) and the time of the Fatimids is kind of already up in the TL. Sorry :(

(The TL is given in my sig, but I have a feeling you will not like it at all. It is contrived to be a horrifying dystopia with a surviving Byzantium).


Oh haha, interesting.
 
Majority of the population at that time is coptic.


For the most part yes, but Islam was rapidly growing to outplace the Copts during this period. Cities like Fustat-Cairo where already majority Muslim by the 1100s at least. The Sinai and much of the eastern parts of the country and the desert on the other side where already Muslim, via pastoral Arab tribes following the conquest.
 
Majority of the population at that time is coptic.

For the most part yes, but Islam was rapidly growing to outplace the Copts during this period. Cities like Fustat-Cairo where already majority Muslim by the 1100s at least. The Sinai and much of the eastern parts of the country and the desert on the other side where already Muslim, via pastoral Arab tribes following the conquest.

I overall went with an approx 60-40 formula, with Muslims being more concentrated in urban regions (however, handled the spatial distribution a bit more sketchily). Looks like that was not too off the mark then :) Thanks for the discussion folks!
 
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