Abbasid History Podcast

We speak with Dr. Liana Saif for an introduction on astrology in premodern Islamic(ate) societies. We cover origins, developments and key writers. A much overlooked topic explored with one of the leading authorities in the field. Find her work here: sas.academia.edu/LianaSaif.

Works of Islamic arts mesmerise their viewers, be it calligraphy, vases or mausoleums, but knowledge of their developments continues to be weak for the general enthusiast.

To give an introductory survey on how to delve deeper into the fascinating ocean of Islamic arts is Dr. Isaballe Imbert.

Dr. Imbert completed her PhD in 2015 at Sorbonne in Persian and Indian Flower Paintings in the 16th to 18th century. She is an Islamic Art specialist with over 10 years’ experience working with the best clients and institutions in the industry. She is known as a researcher, teacher, writer, art market expert and speaker, as well as host of the newly formed ‘ART Informant’ podcast. For more on her work, see: https://isabelle-imbert.com

This presentation will be the first of two parts with Dr. Imbert. The second will be a beginner's guide to investing in the Islamic arts market.

1:42 Islamic arts, we can say, starts in the 7th century with the advent of Islam in Arabia. How do we divide up time and geography thereafter, and do tell us about sources we can consult for them?

9:42 As this is the Abbasid History Podcast, why don't we focus on the long Abbasid era from 750 to 1517 even if the latter times will be referred to by other dynasties or regions? Tell us about some of the main areas of arts in this period.

18:50 You have a particular interest on Islamic art in India. Tell us about the development of that.

28:00 Between 2008 to 2010, you were dedicated to the study of a 14th century Qur’an produced in Gwalior, India, and now kept in the Aga Khan Museum. Tell us about that.

37:25 And finally, before we end tell us where listeners can turn next to learn more about today's topic and tell us what to anticipate in your second presentation with us: A beginner's Guide to Investing in Islamic Arts.

39:50 Audience questions from Instagram

We are sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit IHRC bookshop at shop.ihrc.org and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details.

Originally published: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjV5xiaTECg

Oct 20, 2022

https://linktr.ee/abbasidhistorypodcast

Originally recorded 29th April 2019 at SOAS. Produced by Talha Ahsan.

You can read more about Dr Strick's work at alexstrick.com and follow him on Twitter @strickvl.

Hayrettin Yücesoy is a historian with a specialization in the premodern Middle East. His scholarly interests revolve around the intricate realm of political thought and practice, covering themes such as political messianism, monarchy, republican practices, visions of social order throughout premodern literature, and the historiography of these subjects.

In his written works and publications, Yücesoy delves into the convergence of discourse and political practice, unraveling the polyphonic and dialogic nature of texts. His research endeavors aim to uncover unconventional and dissenting voices, which act as a counterpoint to both contemporary and premodern "master narratives." Yücesoy is interested in discourse and social position and in the language's capacity not only to articulate but also to shape life-worlds. Throughout his career, Yücesoy has contributed to scholarship through publications in English, Arabic, and Turkish. His recent research revolves around the discourses of "good governance" as a point of entry for tracing the lineage of non-theological and non-ulema-centric political discourses in Middle Eastern history.

His latest monograph, Disenchanting the Caliphate: The Secular Discipline of Power in Abbasid Political Thought from Columbia University Press is a significant contribution to the history of political thought in the Middle East. Closely reading key eighth-century texts, Yücesoy argues that the ulema’s discourse of religious governance and the political thought of lay intellectuals diverged during this foundational period, with enduring consequences. He traces how notions of good governance and reflections on prudent statecraft arose among cosmopolitan literati who envisioned governing as an art and illuminates the emergence and impact of a vibrant secular political thought tradition that spread across regions and over centuries. Disenchanting the Caliphate provides an insightful and thought-provoking reconsideration of key aspects of political discourse in the intellectual history of Muslim societies.

In his previous monograph, Messianic Beliefs and Imperial Politics in Medieval Islam: The Abbasid Caliphate in the Early Ninth Century, Yücesoy embarks on an analytical journey to understand the interplay between ideology and practice, using the political actions of the early ninth century Abbasid caliph as a specific case study.

In an earlier monograph, The Development of Sunni Political Thought: The Formative Period (published in Arabic), Yücesoy traces the emergence of Sunni political discourse against the backdrop of socio-political and theological developments between the 8th and 10th centuries. Going through a wealth of textual sources, he illuminates how the Sunnis developed a political awareness that treaded a fine line between monarchical rule and “electoral consent” in the context of their dialogic engagement with the caliphate, sectarian formations, and lay bureaucrat-scholars.

Yücesoy's related scholarly work has also been featured in prominent journals and published volumes. The list of publications includes titles such as "Language of Empire: Politics of Arabic and Persian in the Abbasid World," "Translation as Self-Consciousness: The Abbasid Translation Movement, Ancient Sciences, and Antediluvian Wisdom (ca. 750-850)," "Ancient Imperial Heritage and Islamic Universal Historiography: Al-Dinawari’s Secular Perspective," "Political Anarchism, Dissent, and Marginal Groups in the Early Ninth Century: The Ṣufis of the Mu’tazila Revisited," and "Justification of Political Authority in Medieval Sunni Thought."

Yücesoy's current academic responsibilities encompass teaching a range of courses, including premodern political thought and practice, the history of slavery, the life of the prophet Muhammad, the history of Islamic civilization, the history of food, and premodern Islamic history. His teaching methodology, much like his research, is in harmony with a critical decolonial standpoint, intricately weaving a bottom-up, world-historical storyline to confront enduring culturalist interpretations. At the moment, he is in the process of preparing a book that will incorporate an English translation of Ibn al-Muqaffa’s work "The Epistle on the Caliph’s Companions," accompanied by a contextual biography of the author. From: https://jimes.wustl.edu/people/hayrettin-y%C3%BCcesoy https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayrettin-yucesoy-140782216

SPONSOR: We are sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases online and in-store.

Visit IHRC bookshop at shop.ihrc.org and use discount code AHP15 at checkout.

Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details.

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Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥarīrī was an Arab poet, scholar and Seljuk government official who died in 1122CE aged 68 years old. His work al-Maqāmāt, a compilation of 50 highly-stylised comic anecdotes about the exploits of trickster Abū Zayd, received widespread renown in his time across the Muslim world and is regarded as a high point of Arabic literature.

We are pleased to be joined by Nasim Hassani in Tehran. Ms. Hasani hold a master's degree in Islamic Studies from Shahid Beheshti University,Tehran, Iran, where her dissertation was an Analysis of Mary and Jesus' Birth and Early Life in Quran and Apocrypha: James and Infancy Gospel of Thomas. She has a number of articles and translations in publication.

This is an unusual episode in that despite attempts at Zoom calls, the internet is currently too unstable in Iran, so instead I have sent audio files of my questions which she has kindly edited together for our presentation.

TIMESTAMPS: 02:29 Al-Ḥarīrī was born in Basra 1054CE. He was descended from a companion of the Prophet Muḥammad. His family was wealthy. Before we look at his work, what do we know about the author's life and socio-political context?

14:23 Before we speak about his al-Maqāmāt and this specific illustrated edition, tell us about this genre of Arabic literature.

20:00 Before we dive into this specific illustrated edition, give us an overview of al-Ḥarīrī's al-Maqāmāt.

25:55 Now tell us more about this specific illustrated edition.

31:00 And finally before we end tell us where listeners can turn next to learn more about today's topic and what are other current projects that listeners can anticipate?

Edited and produced by Nasim Hassani

For more on our guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nasimhassani

SPONSOR: We are sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases online and in-store.

Visit IHRC bookshop at shop.ihrc.org and use discount code AHP15 at checkout.

Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details.

https://linktr.ee/abbasidhistorypodcast