Muslim Cultures of the Indian Ocean
Diversity and Pluralism, Past and Present
Edited by Stéphane Pradines, Farouk Topan
- Highlights the centrality of Muslim cultures in understanding interconnectivity across the Indian Ocean
- Explores the role of Islam in forming and transforming global interactions and local agencies across the Indian Ocean
- Offers intra-Muslim perceptions of beliefs, practices and activities, both religious and other
- Presents 15 case studies across Ethiopia, Gujarat, Java, Kerala, the Malay-Indonesian archipelago, Maldives, Oman, Tanzania, Zanzibar and the Persianate cultural zone
This book examines the role of Muslim communities in the emergence of connections and mobilities across the Indian Ocean World from a longue durée perspective. Spanning the 7th century through the medieval period until the present day, this book aims to move beyond the usual focus on geographical sub-regions to highlight different aspects of interconnectivity in relation to Islam. Analysing textual and material evidence, contributors examine identities and diasporas, manuscripts and literature, as well as vernacular and religious architecture. It aims to explore networks and circulations of peoples, ideas and ideologies, as well as art, culture, religion and heritage. It focuses on global interactions as well as local agencies in context.
List of Figures
IntroductionStéphane Pradines and Farouk Topan
PART 1: MUSLIM IDENTITIES, LITERATURE AND DIASPORAS
1. Developing the Harari Muṣḥaf: The Indian Ocean Milieu of Ethiopian ScribesSana Mirza
2. The Making of a Qur’ān Manuscript in Lamu Archipelago: The Indian Ocean Cross-cultural InfluenceWalid Ghali
3. Muslim Identities of the Indian Ocean: The Ibadi Al Bu Sa’id of Oman during the Eighteenth and Nineteenth CenturiesBeatrice Nicolini
4. Religion, Ethnicity and Identity in the Zanzibar SultanateValerie J. Hoffman
5. Transcending Boundaries: Sayyida Salme/Emily Ruete and Siti binti SaadFarouk Topan
6. Exploring the Geographies and Locales in Shaykh Jamali Dehlawi’s Siyar al-ʿārifīn (The Virtues of Gnostics)Gulfishan Khan
7. A Persian view of the Maritime Muslim Frontier in Southeast Asia: The Jāmiʿ al-barr waʾl-baḥrRoghayeh Ebrahimi
8. ‘Sword of the Two Sanctuaries’: Islam of and in the Modern Indian OceanM. Reza Pirbhai
PART II: MONUMENTS AND HERITAGE IN MUSLIM CONTEXTS
9. The Indian Ocean as a Martime Cultural Landscape and Heritage RouteEric Falt
10. Indian Ocean Heritage and Sustainable Conservation, from Zanzibar to KilwaStephen Battle and Pierre Blanchard
11. Early Swahili Mosques: the Role of Ibadi and Ismaili Communities, Ninth to Twelfth CenturiesStéphane Pradines
12. Traditional Bohra Dwellings of Gujarat, India: Architectural Response to Cultural EthosMadhavi Desai
13. Regionalism in Religious Architecture of India: A Comparative Study of Mosques in Gujarat and KeralaMiki Desai
14. Architecture of Coral Stone Mosques of the MaldivesMohamed Mauroof Jameel
15. The Development of Early Islamic Architecture and Decoration in the Malay-Indonesian Archipelago (Nusantara)Bernard O’Kane
About the Contributors
Index
The volume makes an original and distinctive contribution to the subject, and more generally to Indian Ocean studies. One of the volume’s strengths is precisely its multidisciplinary approach that makes it also suitable for different area studies in Human and Social Sciences.
The Indian Ocean is a vast mediterranean between Africa, Asia and Australasia; united geographically by the monsoons; woven into an intricate cultural web by Islam and other religions; by languages like Arabic and Kiswahili; and by a literate tradition that has survived in manuscripts of poetry and prose. These papers were presented at the conference at the Aga Khan University, and explored in this rich volume.
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