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Print Price: $13.50

Format:
Paperback
144 pp.
18 b/w halftones, 111 mm x 174 mm

ISBN-13:
9780199545728

Publication date:
February 2010

Imprint: OUP UK

Islamic History: A Very Short Introduction

Dr. Adam J. Silverstein

Series : Very Short Introductions

Does history matter? This book argues not that history matters, but that Islamic history does. This Very Short Introduction introduces the story of Islamic history; the controversies surrounding its study; and the significance that it holds - for Muslims and for non-Muslims alike.

Opening with a lucid overview of the rise and spread of Islam, from the seventh to twenty first century, the book charts the evolution of what was originally a small, localised community of believers into an international religion with over a billion adherents. This leads to provocative conclusions concerning the relationship between politics and religion in Muslim societies.

Chapters are also dedicated to the peoples - Arabs, Persians, and Turks - who shaped Islamic history, and to three representative institutions - the mosque, jihad, and the caliphate - that highlight Islam's diversity over time.

Finally, the roles that Islamic history has played in both religious and political contexts are analysed, while stressing the unique status that history enjoys amongst Muslims, especially compared to its lowly place in Western societies where history is often seen as little more than something that is not to be repeated.

Some of the questions that will be answered are:

* How did Islam arise from the obscurity of seventh century Arabia to the headlines of twenty first century media?
* How do we know what we claim to know about Islam's rise and development?
* Why does any of this matter, either to Muslims or to non-Muslims?

Readership : Suitable for general readers, students of Islam and Middle Eastern studies, students of Politics and International Relations, and scholars of Byzantine, Medieval, Indian, and Chinese History.

1. The story of Islamic history
2. Peoples and cultures
3. Institutions
4. The sources
5. Competing approaches
6. Religious significance
7. Political significance
Conclusions
Further reading

There are no Instructor/Student Resources available at this time.

Adam Silverstein has taught Islamic history at the universities of Cambridge and Oxford. He is University Research Lecturer in Near and Middle Eastern Studies, and a Fellow of The Queen's College, Oxford. He is also Fellow in Jewish-Muslim Relations at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies and a member of The Magic Circle.

History: A Very Short Introduction - John Arnold
Islam: A Very Short Introduction - Malise Ruthven

Special Features

Provides a chronological survey of the origins and subsequent spread of Islam throughout the world.
Demonstrates the cultural and religious diversity of Islamic societies.
Explores the story, sources, and significance of Islamic history and considers the way it shaped the present state of Muslim societies.
Relates the subjects relevance to the modern world.