Diplomatics and paleography: a study of judges’ signatures in the Mamluk period
摘要
The paleographic study of a sample of Mamluk period documents aims to determine the script used by judges for documentation and to resolve the dispute among Arab researchers, whose opinions have varied without providing scientific evidence to support any claim. The study adopts the inductive method to analyze handwritten signatures and extract their characteristics, followed by the deductive method to compare the results with the information recorded in al-Qalqashandī’s book, which holds significant paleographic and diplomatic value. The study reveals that the script used by judges was al-tawqīʿ and that it adhered to a strict system governing documentation practice in the Mamluk state.