On the Road to Heaven: Taxation, Conversions, and the Coptic-Muslim Socioeconomic Gap in Medieval Egypt

Mohamed Saleh

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Abstract: Self-selection of converts is an under-studied explanation of inter-religion socioeconomic status (SES) differences. Inspired by this conjecture, I trace the Coptic-Muslim SES gap in Egypt to self-selection-on-SES during Egypt's conversion from Coptic Christianity to Islam. Selection was driven by a poll tax on non-Muslims, imposed from 641 until 1856, which induced poorer Copts to convert to Islam leading Copts to shrink into a better-off minority. Using novel data sources, I document that high-tax districts in 641-1100 had in 1848-1868 relatively fewer Copts, but greater SES differentials. Group restrictions on apprenticeships and schooling led the initial selection to perpetuate.

Date: 2018-06
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-04423900v1
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Published in Journal of Economic History, 2018, 78 (2), pp.394-434. ⟨10.1017/S0022050718000190⟩

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Related works:
Journal Article: On the Road to Heaven: Taxation, Conversions, and the Coptic-Muslim Socioeconomic Gap in Medieval Egypt (2018)
Working Paper: On the Road to Heaven: Taxation, Conversions, and the Coptic-Muslim Socioeconomic Gap in Medieval Egypt (2017)
Working Paper: On the Road to Heaven: Self-Selection, Religion, and Socio-Economic Status (2015)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04423900

DOI: 10.1017/S0022050718000190

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