Curating Lived Islam in the Muslim World

This insightful work examines British interactions with Muslims over centuries. Curating Lived Islam in the Muslim World provides a nuanced exploration of gender and colonialism.

Beginning with the medieval period, Curating Lived Islam in the Muslim World collates and reviews first-hand scholarship on Muslims in the Middle East and South Asia, as noted down by eminent British travellers, sleuths, and observers of lived Islam. This comprehensive exploration emphasizes the pre-colonial and pre-Orientalist phases, highlighting the multi-disciplinary nature of Britain’s relationship with Muslims over the last millennium and demonstrating a multi-layered interface.

The book pays particular attention to gender balance, focusing on specially selected individuals and their transformative experiences while living and working among Muslim communities. By examining the writings of both male and female authors, including Adelard, Thomas Coryate, Mary Montagu, and Fanny Parkes, Curating Lived Islam in the Muslim World analyzes their understanding of Islam. Additionally, the author explores the contributions of a significant number of representative colonial British women, moving beyond the stereotype of imperious wives to illustrate the status of women, tribal hierarchies, historic and architectural sites, and regional politics in the Near East and South Asia.

Going beyond familiar views about colonialism, travel writings, and memsahibs, this book maintains a focus on the complex relations between Britain and Asian Muslims. It will be of interest to academics working in British history, Imperial history, the study of religions, Shi’i Islam, Islamic studies, Gender and the Empire, and South Asian Studies, offering a fresh perspective on these intertwined histories.