1st Edition
The Arabs, Byzantium and Iran Studies in Early Islamic History and Culture
This collection of articles by Professor Bosworth contains a series of studies on the Arab-Persian heartland of the medieval Islamic world, from the Levant to Afghanistan and the borderlands with India. The emphasis is on historical, religious, cultural and literary aspects of the region's history, from pre-Islamic times to the medieval period. A number of the studies focus on the Arab caliphate and the successor dynasties that arose from it in the Iranian world, others focus on Muslim perceptions of other faiths in the Middle East and on the relations of the ruling Muslim institution with its non-Muslim minorities. One particular group is also concerned with the prolonged contacts and interaction between Islam and the Byzantine Empire.
'C. E. Bosworth is a noted authority in Middle East History.' 'Bosworth demonstrates a superb command of Arabic and Persian sources combined with an expert knowledge of relevant secondary sources...For those specialists concerned with Muslim and non-Muslim interaction in the pre-modern Near East, this collection of his articles will be very welcomed.' MESA Bulletin 'It is of course a pleasure to have these articles in one place, particularly since three or four might otherwise remain inaccessible to those without access to good libraries. But the real pleasure is in experiencing Bosworth’s breadth of knowledge and wide expertise on a variety of Persian and Arabic literary genres, covering topics as diverse as irrigation, Christian-Muslim relations, historiography, frontier history, and early Islam in Iran and Afghanistan.' Religious Studies Review, Vol. 24, Number 3 'With its engaging entries, authentic documentation, and lively analysis, Bosworth’s anthology is an asset to, and a valuable reference for, the Middle East specialist.' Arab Studies Quarterly, Vol. 20, No. 3