The New Cambridge History of ISLAM. The Western Islamic World Eleventh to Eighteenth Centuries (Vol. 2)

Jueves, 28 Octubre, 2010

Volume 2 of The New Cambridge History of Islam is devoted to the history of the western Islamic lands from the political fragmentation of the eleventh century to the beginnings of European colonialism towards the end of the eighteenth century. This volume embraces a vast area from al-Andalus and North Africa to Arabia and the lands of the Ottomans.

In the first four sections, scholars — all leaders in their particular fields — chart the rise and fall, and explain the political and religious developments, of the various independent ruling dynasties across the region, including famously the Almohads, the Fatimids and Mamluks, and, of course, the Ottomans.

The final section of this volume explores the commonalities and continuities that united these diverse and geographically disparate communities, through in-depth analyses of state formation, conversion, taxation, scholarship and the military.

MARIBEL FIERRO is a Research Professor at the Center of Human and Social Sciences (CCHS) of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid.

Her previous publications include Al-Andalus: Saberes e intercambios culturales (2001), Abd al-Rahman III, the first Cordoban caliph (2005), Los Almohades: Problemas y perspectivas (as co-editor, 2005) and El cuerpo derrotado: Cómo trataban musulmanes y cristianos a los enemigos vencidos (Península Ibérica, ss. VIII—XIII) (as co-editor, 2008).

Contributions:
Brett, Michael
Cory,Stephen
Eddé, Anne- Marie
Faroqhi, Suraiya
Fleet, Kate
Fuess, Albrecht
Haykel, Bernard
Imber ,Colin
Leiser, Gary
Lev, Yaacov
Levanoni,Amalia
Masters, Bruce
Meloy, John L.
Peskes, Esther
Rebstock, Ulrich
Remie Constable, Olivia
Touati, Houari
Viguera- Molins, María Jesús  

General Editor: Michael Cook, Class of 1943 University Professor of Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University.

The New Cambridge History of Islam offers a comprehensive history of Islamic civilisation, tracing its development from its beginnings in seventh-century Arabia to its wide and varied presence in the globalised world of today. Under the leadership of the Prophet Muhammad, the Muslim community coalesced from a scattered, desert population and, following his death,emerged from Arabia to conquer an empire which, by the early eighth century,stretched from India in the east to Spain in the west. By the eighteenth century,despite political fragmentation, the Muslim world extended from West Africato South-East Asia. Today, Muslims are also found in significant numbersin Europe and the Americas, and make up about one-fifth of the world'spopulation.

To reflect this geographical distribution and the cultural, social and reli-gious diversity of the peoples of the Muslim world, The New Cambridge History of Islam is divided into six volumes. Four cover historical developments, and two are devoted to themes that cut across geographical and chronological divisions — themes ranging from social, political and economicrelations to the arts, literature and learning. Each volume begins with a panoramic introduction setting the scene for the ensuing chapters and examining relationships with adjacent civilisations. Two of the volumes — onehistorical, the other thematic — are dedicated to the developments of the last two centuries, and show how Muslims, united for so many years in their alle-giance to an overarching and distinct tradition, have sought to come to termswith the emergente of Western hegemony and the transition to modernity.

The time is right for this new synthesis reflecting developments in schol-arship over the last generation. The New Cambridge History of Islam is anambitious enterprise directed and written by a team combining establishedauthorities and innovative younger scholars. It will be the standard referencefor students, scholars and all those with enquiring minds for years to come.

Ed.: Maribel Fierro (ILC-CCHS)
Oriente en occidente: Desafiando Fronteras (*)