Abbasid History Podcast
52 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago -An audio platform for the study of the pre-modern Islamic(ate) past and beyond. We interview academics, archivists and artists on their work for peers and junior students in the field. We aim to educate, inspire, perhaps infuriate, and on the way entertain a little too.
https://linktr.ee/abbasidhistorypodcast
Suitable also for general listeners with an interest in geographically diverse medieval history.
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Episodes
💧EP047 GUEST EPISODE (1/8) Water History and the Pre-Modern Middle East. “Source of Life: Water Management in the Premodern Middle East” (Radboud Institute for Culture and History)
March 01, 2024 15:17 - 42 minutes - 28.9 MBThis episode was produced by Edmund Hayes and Jouke Heringa. Ep1. Water History and the Pre-Modern Middle East The cities of the medieval Middle East were some of the largest in the world, dwarfing the major cities of western Europe, for example. So how did they support large populations in relatively arid conditions? In this episode we provide an overview of the kinds of hydraulic infrastructure and social institutions that allowed pre-modern Middle Eastern cities to function. Speaker...
🕸EP046 Prof. Hayrettin Yücesoy on his new book "Disenchanting the Caliphate"
February 18, 2024 14:53 - 1 hour - 156 MBHayrettin 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 ...
🖋EP045 Nasim Hassani on an illustrated manuscript of al-Maqāmāt by Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥarīrī (d.1122CE)
February 18, 2024 14:35 - 35 minutes - 65.2 MBAbū 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,Teh...
💒EP044 The Curious Tale of Isaac: An Egyptian Jew baptised as godson to King Edward II (d. 1327)
February 17, 2024 14:21 - 1 hour - 126 MBIn 1319 Roger de Stangrave, a Hospitaller knight, and a Jew named Isaac arrived in England. For a ransom of 10,00 gold florins, Isaac had freed Stangrave, a stranger to him, from over 30 years of Mamluk captivity and then accompanied the knight home to be repaid. By 1322, Isaac has converted to Christianity and become Edward of St. John, with King Edward II taking him as godson. What motivated Isaac to ransom a stranger for such an exorbitant cost and leave his native Egypt and end up bapt...
💰EP043 Dr. Isabelle Imbert on a Beginner's Guide to Investing in Islamic Arts
February 17, 2024 12:42 - 36 minutes - 67.6 MBThis is the second part of two presentations. More on our guest: https://isabelle-imbert.com 0:50 In your previous presentation, you gave us an overview of the history of Islamic art. Give us an overview of the Islamic arts market scene: who are the main players? Where are the main auctions, and so on? 7:05 You advised in your Bayt al-Fann interview that beginners should buy what they like. At what stage can a beginner can consider himself a serious investor? Link to interview: ht...
🕌EP042 Dr. Isabelle Imbert on a Very Brief Introduction to Studying the History of Islamic Arts
February 17, 2024 11:39 - 49 minutes - 91.1 MBWorks 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 ...
💡EP041 Dr. Abdul Azim Ahmed on Shahab Ahmed's "What is Islam? The Importance of being Islamic"
January 31, 2024 19:41 - 1 hour - 148 MBDr. Azim Ahmed, Research Associate in British Muslim Studies at Cardiff University, discusses the late Shahab Ahmed's (no relation!) seminal work "What is Islam? The Importance of Being Islamic" leading us to identify the Anglophone as the New Persianate for the Cathay-to-California Complex. Links: Abdul-Azim Ahmed, Mind the Gap — The Textual, The Social, and Anglophone Islam https://medium.com/@AbdulAzim/mind-the-gap-the-textual-the-social-and-anglophone-islamin-shahab-ahmeds-2015-book-...
🎈EP040 Muhammad Ali Mojaradi (@sharghzadeh) on Rumi (d. 1273CE): Life, Works and Legacy of a Muslim Poet (#RumiWasMuslim)
April 01, 2022 05:00 - 41 minutes - 94.6 MBDespite many a tattoo of his alleged verses decorating limbs of heartbroken US college students, the actual life, works and legacy of the Sunni Hanafi jurist and Māturīdī theologian Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī have been conveniently overlooked. To provide a historical introduction to Rumi, we are joined by Muhammad Ali Mojaradi, a University of Michigan graduate, translator, editor and founder of the persianpoetics.com project and is best known by his Twitter and Instagram handle @sharghzadeh....
🏔 EP039 Dr. Ramon Harvey on Abū Manṣūr al-Māturīdī (d.944CE): Life, works and legacy of the seminal Sunni theologian
March 11, 2022 15:31 - 38 minutes - 87.9 MBAbū Manṣūr al-Māturīdī (d.944CE) was a Persian Sunni Hanafi jurist, theologian, and scriptural exegete based in Samarkand. His eponymous codification of Sunni creed became the dominant theological school for Sunni Muslims in Central Asia and later enjoyed a preeminent status as the school of choice for both the Ottoman Empire and the Mughal Empire. Timestamps 01:40 Al-Māturīdī was born at Māturīd, a village or quarter in the neighbourhood of Samarkand during the reign of the caliph al-Mu...
🧊EP038 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on Twitter Space (Monday 27th December 2021). Part 12 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry
January 05, 2022 14:24 - 1 hour - 180 MBOur series concludes with this live session with our guest and listeners. For more on our guest, see kblankinship.com. Sponsored by shop.ihrc.org Get 15% off with discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC Bookshop for details.
🗻EP037 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on Ṣafī al-Dīn al-Ḥillī (1278-1349 CE): Poetry in the Mamluk era
December 18, 2021 06:00 - 28 minutes - 52.1 MBṢafī al-Dīn al-Ḥillī was a Shʿī poet who was born in Iraq but lived much of his life in Mardin in modern day Turkey. He was an exemplar of versatility in verse for the much neglected Mamluk period of literary history. Timestamps 01:20 Ṣafī al-Dīn al-Ḥillī was born in 1278 just over a decade after the Mongol sack of Baghdad. What do we know about his socio-political context? 08:27 War and disaster forced al-Ḥillī to leave his family and move to Mardin. What do we know about his life? ...
🗻EP037 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on Ṣafī al-Dīn al-Ḥillī (1278-1349 CE): Poetry in the Mamluk era. Part 11 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry
December 18, 2021 06:00 - 28 minutes - 52.1 MBṢafī al-Dīn al-Ḥillī was a Shʿī poet who was born in Iraq but lived much of his life in Mardin in modern day Turkey. He was an exemplar of versatility in verse for the much neglected Mamluk period of literary history. Timestamps 01:20 Ṣafī al-Dīn al-Ḥillī was born in 1278 just over a decade after the Mongol sack of Baghdad. What do we know about his socio-political context? 08:27 War and disaster forced al-Ḥillī to leave his family and move to Mardin. What do we know about his life? ...
🟥EP036 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on Ibn ʿArabī (1165-1240 CE): The Red Sulphur sings. Part 10 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry
December 04, 2021 06:00 - 25 minutes - 46.2 MBIbn ʿArabī was an Andalusian Muslim scholar, mystic, poet, and philosopher. He is renowned among practitioners of Sufism by the names al-Shaykh al-Akbar ("the Greatest Shaykh"; from here the Akbarian school derives its name). Timestamps 01:36 Ibn ʿArabī was born in 1165 in Andalusia whose literary history we covered in episode 35. What do we know about his socio-political context? 06:12 Ibn ʿArabī lived an iterant life and is buried in Damascus. What do we know about his life? 10:25 I...
🥀EP035 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on Ibn Zaydūn (1003-1071 CE): an introduction to Andalusian poetry
November 27, 2021 15:05 - 24 minutes - 45.7 MBAbū al-Walīd Aḥmad Ibn Zaydūn al-Makhzūmī, or simply known as Ibn Zaydūn, was considered the greatest neoclassical poet of al-Andalus. His love affair with the princess and poet Wallada and his exile inspired many of his poems. Timestamps 01:37 Ibn Zaydūn grew up during the decline of the Caliphate of Córdoba. What do we know about his socio-political context and also tell us about Arabic literature in al-Andalus more generally? 07:10 Ibn Zaydūn was born in 1003 in Cordoba to an arist...
🥀EP035 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on Ibn Zaydūn (1003-1071 CE): Love, Longing and Lost - an introduction to Andalusian poetry. Part 9 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry
November 27, 2021 15:05 - 24 minutes - 45.7 MBAbū al-Walīd Aḥmad Ibn Zaydūn al-Makhzūmī, or simply known as Ibn Zaydūn, was considered the greatest neoclassical poet of al-Andalus. His love affair with the princess and poet Wallada and his exile inspired many of his poems. Timestamps 01:37 Ibn Zaydūn grew up during the decline of the Caliphate of Córdoba. What do we know about his socio-political context and also tell us about Arabic literature in al-Andalus more generally? 07:10 Ibn Zaydūn was born in 1003 in Cordoba to an arist...
⚔EP034 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on Abū Firās al-Ḥamdānī: the Prince, the Prisoner, the Poet. Part 8 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry
November 13, 2021 05:00 - 25 minutes - 46.9 MBDr. Kevin Blankinship, BYU Utah, speaks about the life, works and legacy of Abū Firās al-Ḥamdānī, prince, prisoner, poet. Al-Ḥārith b. Abū al-ʿAlā Saʿīd ibn Ḥamdān al-Taghlibī, better known by his nom de plume of Abū Firās al-Ḥamdānī, was an Arab prince and poet. He was a cousin of Sayf al-Dawla, the ruler of northern Syria, whom we mentioned in episode 33. He best known for the collection of poems titled al-Rūmiyyāt during his time as a prisoner of war with the Byzantines. Timestamps ...
✒EP033 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on al-Mutanabī (c.915-965CE): 'the Shakespeare of the Arabs.' Part 7 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry
November 06, 2021 19:10 - 35 minutes - 64.2 MBDr. Kevin Blankinship, BYU Utah, speaks about the life, works and legacy of al-Mutanabbī, whose poetry continues to inspire. Timestamps 01:44 Al-Mutanabbī was born in 915CE in the city Kufah in modern day Iraq at the height of the Abbasid caliphate but with rising challenges from sectarian foes. What do we know about his socio-political context? 05:34 Al-Mutanabbī was educated in Damascus and is said to have participated in Qaramatian revolts which we covered in episode 13 with Dr. And...
😷EP032 Prof. Peter Adamson on the life, work and legacy of Abū Bakr al-Rāzī (d.925CE): Physician, Philosopher, Provacateur
August 21, 2021 15:40 - 27 minutes - 50.1 MBAbū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Zakariyyāʾ al-Rāzī (865–925 CE), also known by his Latinized name Rhazes, was one of the greatest figures in the history of medicine in the Islamic tradition, and one of its most controversial philosophers. While we have ample surviving evidence for his medical thought, his philosophical ideas mostly have to be pieced together on the basis of reports found in other authors, who are often hostile to him. To discuss with us the life, work and legacy of al-Rāzī is Prof. ...
EP031 Dr. Antonia Bosanquet on Ibn al-Qayyim (d.1350CE) and Dhimma governance
August 15, 2021 13:50 - 27 minutes - 50.6 MBThe laws of Dhimma, or governance of non-Muslim minorities in a Muslim polity, can arouse difficult feelings amongst both Muslims and non-Muslims especially at sites of tension and conflict between them around the globe. To discuss with us today a medieval legal work on these rulings is Dr. Antonia Bosanquet, author of Minding their Place: Space and Religious Hierarchy in Ibn al-Qayyim’s Aḥkām ahl al-dhimma published by Brill in 2021. She is currently a researcher at the University of Hamb...
EP030 Dr. Stephennie Mulder on Imām al-Shāfiʿī (d.820CE), an afterlife: the story of his mausoleum in Cairo and the role of arts and crafts as a source in Islamic(ate) history
July 19, 2021 14:56 - 30 minutes - 56 MB"This blessed cenotaph was made for the Imam (al-Shāfʿī)…by ʿUbayd the carpenter, known as Ibn Maʿālai, in the months of the year five hundred seventy-four. May God have mercy on him; may he [also] have mercy on those who are merciful toward him, those who call for mercy upon him, and upon all who worked with him—the woodworkers and carvers—and all the believers." Thus reads the inscription on the teak cenotaph at the grave of Imām al-Shafiʿī. For at least ten centuries, in a city replete...
🎟EP029 Dr. Hannah Erlwein from Kalamopod on a brief history of Kalām (philosophy of religion within the Islamic ecumene)
July 03, 2021 10:50 - 27 minutes - 50.9 MBLiterally meaning "speech, word, utterance" among other things, Kalām or philosophy of religion within the Islamic ecumene has divided Muslim believers about it scope, methods and even its validity in itself. To give us a brief history of Kalām is the presenter of a new podcast devoted to explaining Kalām to the uninitiated, Dr. Hannah Erlwein. Dr. Erlwein completed her PhD at the School of Oriental and African Studies on Arguments for the Existence of God in Classical Islamic Thought wh...
EP028 Dr. Jonathan Brown on the life, works and legacy of hadith scholar al-Bukhārī (810-870CE)
June 28, 2021 19:28 - 1 hour - 117 MBConsidered by Sunni Muslims as the second most authentic book after the Quran, Muḥammad ibn Ismā‘īl al-Bukhārī's collection of the Prophet's sayings and traditions, or ḥadīth, holds an esteemed station in Sunni scholasticism. To discuss with me the life, works and legacy of al-Bukhari is Dr. Jonathan Brown. Dr. Brown is the Alwaleed bin Talal Chair of Islamic Civilization in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. His PhD title and first book was "The Canonization of al-Buk...
EP027 Dr. Aaron Tugendhaft on philosopher al-Fārābī (d. 951CE), ISIS and Iconoclasm
April 17, 2021 14:20 - 24 minutes - 45 MBIn February 2015, the former Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) released a video showing their destruction of Mesopotamian antiquities at the museum of Mosul. Although perhaps ironic that images are used to show the destruction of images, a video intended to shock can be turned against its makers when analysed thoughtfully. Our guest this episode, Dr. Aaron Tugendhaft, argues in his latest book "The Idols of ISIS: From Assyria to the Internet" that iconoclasm at heart is a political m...
EP026 Dr. Philip Grant on the Zanj Revolt 869-883CE: A Slave Uprising against the Caliphate
April 12, 2021 18:49 - 56 minutes - 104 MBIn and around 869CE, African slaves used to cultivate the salt marshes of Basra in present-day Iraq revolted against their master. Led by an ʿAlī b. Muḥammad, a charismatic messianic figure, their uprising would prove to very damaging to an already beleaguered Abbasid caliphate before being finally crushed in 883CE. To explain the cause, details and significance of the Zanj revolt is Dr. Philip Grant, co-author of the "Chains of Finance" published by Oxford University Press. Timestamps ...
EP025 Dr. Ahab Bdaiwi on Shaykh al-Mufīd (c.948-1022): Life, Works and Legacy of a Seminal Shia Scholar
April 04, 2021 14:42 - 32 minutes - 58.9 MBTo discuss with us the life, works and legacy of Shaykh al-Mufīd is Dr. Ahab Bdaiwi. Dr. Bdaiwi completed his PhD at Exeter on Islamic intellectual history and is currently the Cook-Crone Research Bye-Fellow in Ancient and Medieval History at the university of Cambridge. Timestamps 00.00 Introduction 01.50 Shaykh al-Mufid was born in Baghdad around 948CE during the Shia Buyid dynasty's de facto control of the Abbasid caliphate and fifty years before the so-called 'Sunni Revival' with t...
EP024 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on al-Ḥallāj (c.858-922 CE): Life, works and poetic legacy of a martyred mystic. Part 6 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry
March 27, 2021 12:16 - 22 minutes - 41.9 MBDr. Kevin Blankinship, BYU Utah, speaks about the life, works and legacy of one controversial Sufi, al-Ḥallāj, whose poetic outpourings continue to inspire. This is the sixth part of a twelve part series exploring classical Arabic poetry which can be utilised in college-level teaching programmes. For more on our guest, see kblankinship.com. Sponsored by shop.ihrc.org Get 15% off with discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC Bookshop for details.
EP023 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on Abū Tammām (c.807-850 CE): Life, works and legacy of an anthologist. Part 5 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry
March 14, 2021 14:26 - 25 minutes - 45.9 MBDr. Kevin Blankinship, BYU Utah, speaks about the life, works and legacy of one of the greatest Abbasid literary figures, Abū Tammām, known particularly for his anthology. This is the fifth part of a twelve part series exploring classical Arabic poetry which can be utilised in college-level teaching programmes. For more on our guest, see kblankinship.com. Sponsored by shop.ihrc.org
EP022 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on Abū al-ʿAtāhiyyaḧ (748-828 CE): Life, works and legacy of an ascetic poet. Part 4 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry
February 06, 2021 15:53 - 21 minutes - 38.8 MBDr. Kevin Blankinship, BYU Utah, speaks about the life, works and legacy of one of the greatest Abbasid poets, Abū al-ʿAtāhiyyaḧ, known particularly for his ascetic poetry. This is the fourth part of a twelve part series exploring classical Arabic poetry which can be utlised in college-level teaching programmes. For more on our guest, see kblankinship.com. Sponsored by shop.ihrc.org
EP021 Abū Nuwās (c.756- c.814 CE). Part 3 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry
January 30, 2021 15:58 - 25 minutes - 46.3 MBDr. Kevin Blankinship, BYU Utah, speaks about the life, works and legacy of one of the greatest Abbasid poets, Abū Nuwās, known particularly for his homoerotic verse and wine poetry. This is the third part of a twelve part series exploring classical Arabic poetry which can be utlised in college-level teaching programmes. For more on our guest, see kblankinship.com. Sponsored by shop.ihrc.org
EP020 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on al-Farazdaq (c.641-c.730CE). Part 2 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry
January 16, 2021 19:18 - 25 minutes - 47.5 MBDr. Kevin Blankinship, BYU Utah, speaks about the life, works and legacy of one of the greatest Umayyad poets, al-Farazdaq, known particularly for satirizing rival poets as well as amorous verse. This is the second part of a twelve part series exploring classical Arabic poetry which can be utlised in college-level teaching programmes. For more on our guest, see kblankinship.com.
EP019 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on ʾImr al-Qays (501-544CE). Part 1 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry
January 02, 2021 22:20 - 27 minutes - 51.3 MBDr. Kevin Blankinship, BYU Utah, speaks about the life, works and legacy of the boisterous prince, ʾImr al-Qays. Was he actually a Christian? Are his recorded poems authentic? This is the first part of a twelve part series exploring classical Arabic poetry which can be utlised in college-level teaching programmes. For more on our guest, see kblankinship.com.
EP018 Dr. Christian Sahner on Christianity under the Caliphate
December 05, 2020 19:42 - 26 minutes - 48 MBDr. Christian Sahner gives a fluent and concise introduction to Christian life prior and after the Arab-Islamic conquests of the Levant including the phenomenon of conversion and martyrdom of executed Christian converts from Islam. Sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Visit shop.ihrc.org. Use discount code AHP15 for 15% off purchases. Terms and conditions apply.
EP017 Dr. Laury Silvers on her Abbasid crime fiction quartet The Sufi Mysteries
November 07, 2020 22:03 - 32 minutes - 58.8 MBDr. Laury Silvers shows how the move from academic historian to novelist requires the same imagination that the study of history demands. Sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Visit shop.ihrc.org. Use discount code AHP15 for 15% off purchases. Terms and conditions apply.
EP016 Dr.Yasir Qadhi on the life, works and legacy of Jahm b. Ṣafwān (d. 746CE)
October 10, 2020 06:25 - 27 minutes - 64 MBDr. Yasir Qadhi offers insights into this enigmatic figure whose legacy aroused furore amongst Sunni theologians during the Abbasid era. Sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Visit shop.ihrc.org.
Dr. Sohaib Saeed on Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d. 1210): life, work and legacy as exegesist
September 18, 2020 22:00 - 37 minutes - 85 MBDr. Sohaib Saeed offers perhaps the most coherent introduction to this influential exegesist of the Quran revealing shortcomings in current scholarship on his work. Sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Visit shop.ihrc.org.
EP015 Dr. Sohaib Saeed on Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d. 1210): life, work and legacy as exegesist
September 18, 2020 22:00 - 37 minutes - 85 MBDr. Sohaib Saeed offers perhaps the most coherent introduction to this influential exegesist of the Quran revealing shortcomings in current scholarship on his work. Sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Visit shop.ihrc.org.
EP014 Dr. Salman Younas on Abū Ḥanīfa (d. 767CE): Life, Works and Legacy
August 15, 2020 23:05 - 53 minutes - 123 MBDr. Salman Younas gives an introduction to the eponymous 'founder' of the Hanafi school of Sunni law. He tackles misconceptions about Abu Hanafi's standing as hadith transmitter and allegations of his Murjia heresy. Sponsored by shop.ihrc.org
EP013 Dr. Khalil Andani on a brief history of Ismailism
July 15, 2020 14:45 - 36 minutes - 84.1 MBDr. Khalil Andani gives perhaps the most succinct introduction to the history of Ismailism. We cover their beginnings, understanding of revelation, the Qaramatians, the Fatimid caliphate and sub-sects. Sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Visit shop.ihrc.org.
EP012 Dr. Eric Hanne on the Buyid Dynasty 934-1062CE: Rise, Fall and Legacy📉
June 15, 2020 05:53 - 42 minutes - 98.2 MBDr. Eric Hanne speaks passionately about not imposing simple sectarian or ethnic identities onto the history of the Buyid dynasty's relationship with the Abbasid caliphate. Funny, candid and insightful. Sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Visit shop.ihrc.org.
EP011 Dr. Rachel Schine on Race and Blackness in a medieval popular epic, Sirat Delhemma (C.11/12th CE)
May 17, 2020 18:28 - 34 minutes - 78.4 MBDr. Rachel Schine speaks about understandings of race and blackness in premodern Islamic(ate) societies through the tale of Delhemma, a popular epic of rival families and 'Abd al-Wahhāb, the black offspring of Fāṭimah, the eponymous Delhemma (lit. "the one of high aspiration"), disowned by her husband. Sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Visit shop.ihrc.org.
EP010 Dr. Liana Saif on Islamic(ate) Astrology✨: themes, works and practitioners
April 23, 2020 10:29 - 39 minutes - 89.4 MBWe 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.
EP009 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on the life and works of poet-philosopher 'heretic' Abū al-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī (d. 1058)
March 29, 2020 20:45 - 33 minutes - 75.5 MBConsidered a heretic, the vegan anti-natalist poet Abū al-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī (d. 1058) provoked throughout his life but only had his head chopped off in 2013 as a statue by fanatics in his Syrian hometown. Dr. Kevin Blankinship, Assistant Professor of Arabic Language and Literature at Brigham Young University, challenges what we think we know about the man. For more on his work, see kblankinship.com.
EP008: Dr Yakoob Ahmed on the Ottoman takeover of the Caliphate 1517
February 01, 2020 11:46 - 27 minutes - 63.8 MBWe hear from Ottoman Studies specialist Dr. Ahmed about the cusp of our podcast's remit: the assumption of the caliphate from the shadow Abbasid caliphs of Cairo by the Ottomans. We also speak candidly about his thoughts on the TV show Ertugrul, how he navigates academia as a practising Muslim and teaching in Istanbul as an ex-pat
EP007 Dr. Elaine van Dalen on Arabic commentaries on Hippocratic paediatrics
September 03, 2019 14:32 - 32 minutes - 75.3 MBOriginally recorded 21 August 2019 via Zencastr. Produced by Talha Ahsan. 00.00 Introduction and biography 01.45 Arabic Commentaries on the Hippocratic Aphorisms project at the university of Manchester 02.25 A description of the Hippocratic Aphorisms 03.30 A survey of Arabic commentaries 04.20 Why look at paediatrics? 05.25 On the five aphorisms of paediatrics 06.55 Commentators disputing classifications within paediatrics 07.55 On the importance of Galen to the Arabi...
EP006 Dr. Emily Selove on Ḥikāyat Abī l-Qāsim (summer 2019)
August 18, 2019 11:03 - 42 minutes - 97.8 MBOriginally recorded 15 August 2019 via Zencastr. Produced by Talha Ahsan. 00.00 Introduction and biography 02.00 On the success of the Party-Crashing book Shawkat Toorah 04.15 On defining Adab 05.38 On defining ḥikāyah and risālah 07.35 On defining mujun 08.08 On how to learn Latin as an Arabist Amy Richlin Loeb Classical Library 10.15 On the circadian structure of HAQ 24 (TV series) 12.27 On the plot 13.40 A work to be read or performed? 16.29 On authorship 18.29 ...
EP005 Ian D. Morris on the Macoraba-Mecca Fallacy (pilot series)
July 03, 2019 15:24 - 1 hour - 154 MBOriginally recorded 20 May 2019 via Zencastr. Produced by Talha Ahsan. You can read more about Ian D.Morris's work at iandavidmorris.com and follow him on Twitter @iandavidmorris.
EP004 Yusuf Chaudhary on the Islamisation of the Ilkhanate (pilot series)
June 16, 2019 16:19 - 39 minutes - 89.4 MBOriginally recorded 13th April 2019 at a private location. Produced by Talha Ahsan. You can read more about Yusuf Chaudhary's work at yusufchaudhary.wordpress.com and follow him on Twitter @ayusuf_c.
EP003 Dr. Alex Strick on learning Arabic (pilot series)
June 16, 2019 16:04 - 49 minutes - 114 MBOriginally 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.
EP002 Dr. Anees Lodhi on Hijrah (pilot series)
June 16, 2019 15:41 - 39 minutes - 91.3 MBOriginally recorded 26th March 2019 at SOAS Radio studio. Produced by Talha Ahsan You can see some of Dr. Lodhi's work here aku.academia.edu/AneesLodhi.
EP001 Prof. Hugh Kennedy on general Abbasid historical studies (pilot series)
June 14, 2019 13:44 - 39 minutes - 68.4 MBOriginally recorded 26th March 2019 at SOAS Radio studio. Produced by Talha Ahsan. Pre-order Prof. Kennedy's translation of Al-Baladhuri's History of the Arab Invasions: The Conquest and Administration of Empire on Amazon.