Al-Ruk al-Nasiri
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Al-Ruk al-Nasiri (Egyptian Arabic: الروك الناصري) refers to the process of land surveying that took place during the reign of the Sultan Al-Nasir Mahammad bin Qalawun. Al-Qalqashandi mentioned that the Al-Ruk al-Nasiri began in the year 716 AH/1316 AD,[1] but Al-Maqrizi mentioned that it began in the year 715 AH/1315 AD.[2] Al-Ruk al-Nasiri helped in the equitable distribution of lands and control over the feudal lords.
In the introduction to his book “التحفة السنية بأسماء البلاد المصرية ,” Ibn al-Jia’an attributed the creation of this ruk to the time of the Sultan Al-Ashraf Sha'ban.[3] However, the German orientalist Bernhard Mortiz mentioned in his introduction in French to the book “التحفة السنية بأسماء البلاد المصرية ,”[4] and Prince Omar Toussoun in his book “مالية مصر منذ عهد الفراعنة إلى الآن",[5] they both have proven the opposite,[6] and Prince Omar Toussoun says:
“This space is sometimes called Ibn al-Ji’an ruk, in reference to the name of this author, and sometimes by the name al-Ashraf Sha’ban ruk, in reference to this sultan who was ruler of Egypt in the year 777 AH (1375 AD), which is the year that Ibn al-Ji’an mentioned, when he said that his book describes the situation. On which the provinces were in the aforementioned year, this area was in fact nothing but the ruk of Sultan Al-Nasir Mahammad, and this ruk is the one about which Al-Maqrizi said that it was the work of this sultan in the year 715 AH (1315 AD) and that it remained in use until the year 784 AH (1382 AD). Accordingly, it will be integrated within the period of the rule of Al-Ashraf Sha'ban.”[5]