Advanced Topics in Middle East & North African Studies (390-5-1)

Topic

Islam & the British Empire

Instructors

Brannon Ingram
Crowe Hall 4-135

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-325: Wed 3:00PM - 5:30PM

Overview of class

Islam and the British Empire

At the turn of the twentieth century, the vast majority of the world's Muslims lived under the British Empire. British colonialism and imperialism had an incalculable impact on the modern history of Islam. This course explores that impact in the domains of religion, culture, law, literature, and politics from the founding of the East India Company in 1600 to the Partition of India in 1947. While centered on South Asia, the course will also consider ways that governance of Muslims in India became the model for governance of Muslims in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Southern Africa, and the Caribbean. Topics will include (but are not limited to) changes in the status and nature of Islamic law; impacts of new forms of travel and mobility on Muslim ritual life, especially the Hajj pilgrimage; new debates about the status and position of women in Muslim societies; reimagining the biography of the Prophet Muhammad in light of Orientalist critiques of his prophetic career; the development of a quintessentially "Victorian" Islam in nineteenth century England; and reassessments of Muslim political thought in the context of nascent anticolonial movements in the early twentieth century.

Class Attributes

Ethical and Evaluative Thinking Foundational Disci
Ethics & Values Distro Area