Muslim Societies in African History (New Approaches to African History) PDF
Preview Muslim Societies in African History (New Approaches to African History)
This page intentionally left blank Muslim Societies in African History Examiningaseriesofprocesses(e.g.,islamization,arabization,andafrican- ization)andcasestudiesfromNorth,West,andEastAfrica,thisbookgives snapshotsofMuslimsocietiesinAfricaoverthepast1,000+ years.Incontrast totraditionsthatsuggestthatAfricaisnotMuslimorthatIslamdidnottake rootinAfrica,authorDavidRobinsonshowsthecomplexstrugglesofMus- limsintheMuslimstateofMoroccoandintheHausalandregionofNigeria. HeportraysthewaysinwhichIslamwaspracticedinthe“pagan”societiesof Ashanti(Ghana)andBuganda(Uganda)andintheostensiblyChristianstate ofEthiopia–beginningwiththefirstemigrationofMuslimsfromMeccain 615C.E.,wellbeforethefoundationalhijratoMedinain622.Heconcludes with chapters on the Mahdi and Khalifa of the Sudan and the Murid Sufi movementthatoriginatedinSenegal.Finally,Robinsonoffersreflectionsin thewakeoftheeventsofSeptember11,2001.TheFurtherReadingsections suggesthowundergraduatereadersmayfollowuponthethemesofthisvol- ume,andillustrationsandmapsmaketheprocessesandcasestudiesconcrete. David Robinson has conducted research on Islamic and francophone West Africaforthirtyyears,atYaleUniversity,andsince1978atMichiganState University,wherehewasnamedUniversityDistinguishedProfessorofHis- toryin1992.HisnotablebooksincludeTheHolyWarofUmarTal(Oxford University Press, 1985) and Paths of Accommodation: Muslim Societies and FrenchColonialAuthoritiesinSenegalandMauritania,1880to1920(OhioUni- versityPressandJamesCurrey,2000). NewApproachestoAfricanHistory SeriesEditor MartinKlein,UniversityofToronto New Approaches to African History is designed to introduce students to cur- rentfindingsandnewideasinAfricanhistory.Although eachbooktreatsa particular case, and is able to stand alone, the format allows the studies to beusedasmodulesingeneralcoursesonAfricanhistoryandworldhistory. Thecasesrepresentawiderangeoftopics.Eachvolumesummarizesthestate of knowledge on a particular subject for a student who is new to the field. However,theaimisnotsimplytopresentreviewsoftheliterature,itisalso tointroducedebatesonhistoriographicalorsubstantiveissuesandmayargue forparticularpointsofview.Theaimoftheseriesistostimulatedebate,to challenge students and general readers. The series is not committed to any particularschoolofthought. Otherbooksintheseries: AfricaSince1940,byFrederickCooper Muslim Societies in African History David Robinson MichiganStateUniversity cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cb2 2ru, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521826273 © Cambridge University Press 2004 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published in print format 2004 isbn-13 978-0-511-16514-6 eBook (EBL) isbn-10 0-511-16514-5 eBook (EBL) isbn-13 978-0-521-82627-3 hardback isbn-10 0-521-82627-6 hardback isbn-13 978-0-521-53366-9 paperback isbn-10 0-521-53366-x paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. ForRuditeandDudleigh Acknowledgments This book is the result of a request by Martin Klein to deal with the subject of Islam in Africa for college undergraduates. He has made it a challenge and a pleasure all along the way. I hope to say some- thingoldandsomethingnew,orsomethingknowninanewway.The processhasmademethinkdifferentlyaboutmaterialsthatIresearch andteach.Ibenefitedfromworkingonanolderprojectorganizedby NehemiaLevtzionandRandallPouwels,whichtheyeditedasAHis- tory of Islam in Africa (Ohio University Press, 2000). Nehemia was a VisitingHannahProfessoratMichiganStateatthetimethebookcame out.Duringoneofoursessions,hesaidthattheyshouldperhapshave entitled their book Muslim Societies in African History. I was already thinkingalongtheselinesatthetimeandhadadoptedthattitleinmy conversationswithMartin.Itrepresentsausefulanddynamicwayto understandthehistoryofafaithanditspractitionersintheenormous confinesoftheAfricancontinent. Iprofitedfromanumberofcritiquesoftheinitialprospectusanda varietyofdrafts.Ithank,inadditiontoMartin,thefollowingfriends and colleagues: Kevin Brown, Tim Carmichael, Mamadou Diouf, AlanFisher,BillFreund,AlaineHutson,mydeeplymissedcolleague Harold Marcus, Jonathan and Marie Miran, Ahmed Sikainga, Ray Silverman, Charles Stewart, Ehud Toledano, and Brian Yates. I owe special thanks to Tim’s students at a Smith College Seminar in the winter of 2003: Autumn Barr, Sasha Berkoff, Emmi Felker-Quinn, JessicaKeating,JessicaQuinn,MayaRamos,andKavitaVenkatesan, fortakingthetimetoreadthroughthedraftandgivemethebenefitof vii viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS theirreactions.RaySilvermanhasguidedmethroughtheprocessof selectingillustrationsandmadeexcellentsuggestions.SuzanneMiers, AlandPollyRoberts,DoranRoss,andtheFowlerMuseumofCultural History at UCLA have kindly granted me permission to use images fromtheircollections.IalsoexpressmygratitudetoEllenWhiteofthe MSUGeographyDepartmentforthepreparationofthemapsandto AliaWintersofthepressforhersustainedinterestinseeingthebook topublication. DAVIDROBINSON EastLansing,Michigan March2003
Description:The list of books you might like
