Abbasid History Podcast

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.

💧EP054 GUEST EPISDODE (8/8) The Great Valens Aqueduct of Constantinople/ Istanbul 10/02/2024

💧EP053 GUEST EPISDODE (7/8) Qanāts: Harvesting Water on the Edge of the Desert 09/04/2024

💧EP053 GUEST EPISDODE (7/8) Qanāts: Harvesting Water on the Edge of the Desert In this episode we discuss what is perhaps the most famous and distinctive invention of Middle Eastern and North African hydraulic engineering is the qanāt (also known as foggaras, khettāras, and aflāj): an underground tunnel dug horizontally into a hillside to harvest water from the water table. Speakers: Majid Labbaf Khaneiki and Louise Rayne. Majid Khaneiki is a human geographer who specializes in traditional irrigation and hydro-social cycles in rural communities. He has conducted or cooperated with more than 20 research projects on water issues in Oman, Iran, Iraq, India and Azerbaijan. He is the author of 13 books about traditional water management, water history, qanat system, and Indigenous water knowledge. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Nizwa in Oman, where he works in the field of socio-hydrology and conducts a research project on the interplay between water systems and social structures Oman’s local communities. Louise Rayne is Newcastle University Academic Track Fellow in School of History Classics and Archaeology. She has a background in both Archaeology and Geography (joint PhD), especially remote sensing. Originally working in the Middle East on water management archaeology of Syria and Iraq, she is now also working in North Africa on remote sensing of land-use change, especially traditional water management and desertification. This episode was produced by Edmund Hayes and Jouke Heringa. Further reading M. L. Khaneiki, Cultural Dynamics of Water in Iranian Civilization (Springer, 2020). Rayne, L.; Gatto, M.C.; Abdulaati, L.; Al-Haddad, M.; Sterry, M.; Sheldrick, N.; Mattingly, D. Detecting Change at Archaeological Sites in North Africa Using Open-Source Satellite Imagery. Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 3694. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12223694 A. A. S., Yazdi, & M. L. Khaneiki, Qanat knowledge: Construction and maintenance (Springer, 2010). Edmund Hayes Abbasid History Podcast is sponspored by IHRC Bookshop Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases online and in-store. Visit IHRC bookshop at and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. /episode/index/show/abbasidhistorypodcast/id/32895852

💧EP052 GUEST EPISDODE (6/8) Water and the White Monastery: Water Management at a Single Site 08/01/2024

💧EP051 GUEST EPISODE (5/8) Toilets and Waste in Andalusia 07/01/2024

💧EP050 GUEST EPISODE (4/8) The City on The Tigris: Baghdad, Drinking and Water Transport 06/01/2024

💧EP049 GUEST EPISODE (3/8) The Beginnings of the Bathhouse in the Middle East, from Rome to Early Islam 05/02/2024

💧EP049 GUEST EPISODE (3/8) The Beginnings of the Bathhouse in the Middle East, from Rome to Early Islam The bathhouse is an iconic feature of the medieval middle eastern city up until the present. But how did this come to be? In this episode we look into the origins of bathing culture in the Middle East by going back to the Roman, late antique and early Islamic development of bathhouses. Speakers: Nathalie de Haan and Sadi Maréchal. Interviewer: Edmund Hayes. Nathalie de Haan is an associate professor in ancient history at Radboud University, Department of History, Art History and Classics and RICH (Radboud Institute for Culture &History). She is the coordinator of the RICH research group The Ancient World. Her research interest include baths and bathing in the Roman world, Pompeii and Herculaneum and the history of classical archaeology in modern Italy (19th and 20th centuries). Sadi Maréchal is senior postdoctoral researcher of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) based at the department of Archaeology at Ghent University, part of the Historical Archaeology Research Group, the Mediterranean Archaeology Research Unit and coordinator of the Ghent Centre for Late Antiquity. This episode was produced by Edmund Hayes and Jouke Heringa. Further Reading Nathalie de Haan & Kurt Wallat, Die Zentralthermen (Terme Centrali) in Pompeji: Archäologie eines Bauprojektes, Papers of the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome, 71 (Rome: Quasar, 2023). (see: ) Nathalie de Haan “Si aquae copia patiatur. Pompeian Private Baths and the Use of Water”, Chapter 4, in A.O. Koloski-Ostrow (ed.), Water Use and Hydraulics in the Roman City, Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company (Archaeological Institute of America, Colloquia and Conference Papers, Vol. 3, 2001) Sadi Maréchal, Public Baths and Bathing Habits in Late Antiquity. A Study of the Evidence from Italy, North Africa and Palestine A.D. 285–700 (Late Antique Archaeology Supplementary Series 6), Leiden: Brill 2020. Sadi Maréchal, Washing the Body, Cleaning the Soul : Baths and Bathing Habits in a Christianising Society, Antiquité Tardive 28 (2020): 167–176. F. Yegül, Bathing in the Roman World (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010). Edmund Hayes Abbasid History Podcast is sponspored by IHRC Bookshop Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases online and in-store. Visit IHRC bookshop at and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. /episode/index/show/abbasidhistorypodcast/id/31084838

💧EP048 GUEST EPISODE (2/8) Mesopotamia: Taming the Euphrates 04/01/2024

💧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) 03/01/2024

💧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) This 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. Speakers: Maaike van Berkel and Josephine van den Bent. Interviewer: Edmund Hayes. This episode, and this series on water history and the medieval Middle East was produced by Edmund Hayes and Jouke Heringa as part of the project, “Source of Life: Water Management in the Premodern Middle East” at Radboud University. The “Source of Life” project was funded by the Dutch NWO VICI funding scheme. Additional funding for this podcast series was supplied by the Radboud Fonds of Radboud University. Maaike van Berkel is Professor of History at Radboud University and director of the project “Source of Life: Urban Water Management in the Premodern Middle East” funded by the Dutch NWO VICI programme. Josephine van den Bent is a researcher on the Source of Life project at Radboud University and assistant professor of Medieval History at the University of Amsterdam. Further reading Maaike van Berkel, “Waqf Documents on the Provision of Water in Mamluk Egypt,” in M. van Berkel, L. Buskens and P.M. Sijpesteijn (eds.), Legal Documents as Sources for the History of Muslim Societies (Brill: Leiden, 2017). Peter Brown and Maaike van Berkel, “Water Provision in Early Islamic Cities: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Urban Water Governance,” in E Rose, M de Bruin, and R Flierman (eds) City, Citizen & Citizenship 400–1600: A Comparative Approach (Palgrave Macmillan: London, forthcoming). Josephine van den Bent and Peter Brown, “Constructing Hydraulic Infrastructure in the Abbasid and Tulunid Capitals: Water Conduits in Baghdad, Samarra, and Cairo between the eighth and ninth centuries,” Al-Masāq, forthcoming. Edmund Hayes, “A Late Umayyad Reform to the Water Distribution System in the Hinterland of Damascus,” Al-Masāq, forthcoming. Edmund Hayes Maaike van Berkel Josephine van den Bent Abbasid History Podcast is sponspored by IHRC Bookshop Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases online and in-store. Visit IHRC bookshop at and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. /episode/index/show/abbasidhistorypodcast/id/30188793

🕸EP046 Prof. Hayrettin Yücesoy on his new book "Disenchanting the Caliphate" 02/18/2024

🕸EP046 Prof. Hayrettin Yücesoy on his new book "Disenchanting the Caliphate" 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: SPONSOR: We are sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases online and in-store. Visit IHRC bookshop at and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. Originally published: November 30, 2023 #Caliphate #Caliph /episode/index/show/abbasidhistorypodcast/id/30001803

🖋EP045 Nasim Hassani on an illustrated manuscript of al-Maqāmāt by Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥarīrī (d.1122CE) 02/18/2024

🖋EP045 Nasim Hassani on an illustrated manuscript of al-Maqāmāt by Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥarīrī (d.1122CE) 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: SPONSOR: We are sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases online and in-store. Visit IHRC bookshop at and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. IslamicHistory #MedievalHistory #AbbasidHistory #Poetry #ArabicPoetry #Literature #WorldLiterature #Seljuk /episode/index/show/abbasidhistorypodcast/id/30001543

💒EP044 The Curious Tale of Isaac: An Egyptian Jew baptised as godson to King Edward II (d. 1327) 02/17/2024

💒EP044 The Curious Tale of Isaac: An Egyptian Jew baptised as godson to King Edward II (d. 1327) In 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 baptised in England which at the time had expelled all Jews with the decree of Edward I in 1290 (father of Edward II) until it was formally overturned under Oliver Cromwell in 1656? With the backdrop of the Crusades and European antisemitism, to share with us today his investigation of this curious tale is Dr. Rory MacLellan. Dr MacLellan completed his PhD in Medieval History 2019 at St. Andrews and is currently a cataloguer and manuscript researcher at the British Library. He specialises in medieval religious history, especially the crusades and the military-religious orders. His first book, ‘Donations to the Knights Hospitaller in Britain and Ireland’, 1291-1400, is published by Routledge. TIMESTAMPS: 02:20 The first records of Jews in England start with William the Conqueror although one can speculate there may have been Jews prior during the Roman occupation. What many viewers may not know is that Jews were officially expelled from England by Edward I in 1290 until it was formally overturned under Oliver Cromwell in 1657. 15:37 The reign of Edward II (1284-1327) coincides with the titular caliphates of Al-Hakim I (1262 - 1302) and Al-Mustakfi I (1302-1340) and the de facto rule of a number of Mamluk sultans starting with Qalawun (1279-1290) and ending with the second reign Nasir ad-Din Muhammad (1299-1309). What was the socio-political context of Edward's reign domestically and abroad, and what was he like as a person? 20:41 He was also cucked by a Frenchman. His wife Isabella shacked up with a Roger Mortimer and declared war on her husband. What happened there? 24:27 And give us also an overview of the Crusades and how that forms the backdrop to our story. 28:43 Before we look at Isaac and his journey to England, tell us first about Stangrave and how he ended up as a prisoner of war. 30:35 Enter Isaac. What do we do know about him? 39:08 And tell us more about the Domus Conversorum: a London hospital for baptised Jews and their relatives. 44:05 Your essay is a really good example of a critical reading of the sources. Tell us what you think really happened and why. 51:30 Comparison of Jewish life in Mamluk Egypt and Christian England 1:00:08 You have also looked at how the so-called 'alt right' can manipulate medieval history for their political agenda. Tell us your views about that. For more on our guest: 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. IslamicHistory #MedievalHistory #AbbasidHistory #jewishhistory #crusades #baptism #egypt /episode/index/show/abbasidhistorypodcast/id/29995723

💰EP043 Dr. Isabelle Imbert on a Beginner's Guide to Investing in Islamic Arts 02/17/2024

🕌EP042 Dr. Isabelle Imbert on a Very Brief Introduction to Studying the History of Islamic Arts 02/17/2024

🕌EP042 Dr. Isabelle Imbert on a Very Brief Introduction to Studying the History of Islamic Arts 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: 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 and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. Originally published: Oct 20, 2022 /episode/index/show/abbasidhistorypodcast/id/29995003

💡EP041 Dr. Abdul Azim Ahmed on Shahab Ahmed's "What is Islam? The Importance of being Islamic" 01/31/2024

🎈EP040 Muhammad Ali Mojaradi (@sharghzadeh) on Rumi (d. 1273CE): Life, Works and Legacy of a Muslim Poet (#RumiWasMuslim) 04/01/2022

🎈EP040 Muhammad Ali Mojaradi (@sharghzadeh) on Rumi (d. 1273CE): Life, Works and Legacy of a Muslim Poet (#RumiWasMuslim) Despite 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 project and is best known by his Twitter and Instagram handle . Timestamps 01:28 Rumi was born in 1207CE quite likely in modern-day Afghanistan. He would been alive during the Mongol sack. Let's set some context for his life: socio-political, cultural and religious. 08:06 Rumi lived most of his life under the Persianate Seljuk Sultanate of Rum and is buried in Konya. What do we know about his life and tell us in particular about this pivotal episode of meeting Shams-e Tabrizi? 19:32 Rumi is best known for his Mathnavi but he has prose works too. Tell us about Rumi's written legacy and any genealogies of commentaries or inspired works. And importantly - as will get into more later - your recommended translation. 27:08 The Persianate was once the binding culture for the Bengal-to-Balkans complex but largely missing now from the lives of Anglophone confessional Muslims despite their immigrant backgrounds for the most part. You started a project called #RumiWasMuslim. Tell us about that and how we can improve reenculturation of the Persianate in Islamic societies? 35:32 And finally before we end with a reading and translation, tell us where listeners can turn next to learn more about today's topic and what are current projects that listeners can anticipate? Sponsored by Get 15% off with discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC Bookshop for details. /episode/index/show/abbasidhistorypodcast/id/22577681

🏔 EP039 Dr. Ramon Harvey on Abū Manṣūr al-Māturīdī (d.944CE): Life, works and legacy of the seminal Sunni theologian 03/11/2022

🧊EP038 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on Twitter Space (Monday 27th December 2021). Part 12 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry 01/05/2022

🗻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 12/18/2021

🟥EP036 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on Ibn ʿArabī (1165-1240 CE): The Red Sulphur sings. Part 10 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry 12/04/2021

🥀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 11/27/2021

⚔EP034 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on Abū Firās al-Ḥamdānī: the Prince, the Prisoner, the Poet. Part 8 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry 11/13/2021

✒EP033 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on al-Mutanabī (c.915-965CE): 'the Shakespeare of the Arabs.' Part 7 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry 11/06/2021

😷EP032 Prof. Peter Adamson on the life, work and legacy of Abū Bakr al-Rāzī (d.925CE): Physician, Philosopher, Provacateur 08/21/2021

😷EP032 Prof. Peter Adamson on the life, work and legacy of Abū Bakr al-Rāzī (d.925CE): Physician, Philosopher, Provacateur Abū 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. Adamson is professor of philosophy in late antiquity and in the Islamic world at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich as well as professor of ancient and medieval philosophy at King's College London. Aside from articles, monographs, and edited books, he is known for hosting the weekly podcast . Timestamps 02.10: Al-Rāzī was born in the city of Rayy near modern-day Tehran before moving to Baghdad to practise medicine. What do we know about his life? 06:13: The metaphysical doctrine of Razi derives from the theory of the "five eternals", according to which the world is produced out of an interaction between God and four other eternal principles. Tell us more about this. 11.40: He has been accused of heresy by Muslims for denying prophecy, or perhaps he was misunderstood? 20.10: There is a statue of al-Rāzī donated by the Islamic Republic of Iran outside the United Nations Office at Vienna. How can his philosophical heritage still be relevant to us today? 24.15: 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? Sponsors We are sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit IHRC bookshop at and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. We are also sponsored by Turath Publishing. Buy now An Introduction to Sahih al-Bukhari by Mustafa al-Azami. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit Turath Publishing at and use discount code POD15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact Turath Publishing for details. /episode/index/show/abbasidhistorypodcast/id/20215037

EP031 Dr. Antonia Bosanquet on Ibn al-Qayyim (d.1350CE) and Dhimma governance 08/15/2021

EP031 Dr. Antonia Bosanquet on Ibn al-Qayyim (d.1350CE) and Dhimma governance The 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 , 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 Hamburg and a part-time farmer. Timestamps 02.25: Before we look at Ibn al-Qayyim on Dhimma governance. Let's first ask ourselves what is Dhimma governance? Our modern sensibilities as residents of secular nation states find discrimination based on religious backgrounds offensive, although arguably that's precisely what some European countries do today... 07.23: Before we look at Ibn al-Qayyim's work, tell us about the life and career of the author. He was born in Damascus 1292CE... 13.05: You argue that Ibn al-Qayyim's book should be seen as more of a personal interpretation of what ought to be done rather than reflective of actual practice on the ground... 19.00: Turning to the present, the most recent attempt after almost a century and half to apply Dhimma rulings was by ISIS in their failed state. Ibn al-Qayyim today is best regarded for his works on personal spiritual reform. The call for Shariah in the modern Muslim world is often seen synonymous as a call for justice against corruption, but can make non-Muslim minorities feel uncomfortable. Can medieval Dhimma rulings still find a place to critique today's world of imagined communities and fictions of nationalism? 24.30: 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? Sponsors We are sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit IHRC bookshop at and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. We are also sponsored by Turath Publishing. Buy now An Introduction to Sahih al-Bukhari by Mustafa al-Azami. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit Turath Publishing at and use discount code POD15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact Turath Publishing for details. /episode/index/show/abbasidhistorypodcast/id/20145884

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 07/19/2021

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 "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 with holy sites, the mausoleum of Imam al-Shafiʿī (d. AD 820) has been perhaps the most beloved and popular of Cairene shrines. To discuss the mausoleum of Imām al-Shāfiʿī and the role of arts and crafts as a source in Islamic(ate) historiography is . Dr. Mulder is Associate Professor of Islamic Art and Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin. She is the recipient of the Hamilton Book Award Grand Prize, the Syrian Studies Association Award, and Iran’s World Prize for Book of the Year for her book The Shrines of the ‘Alids in Medieval Syria: Sunnis, Shi’s and the Architecture of Coexistence (Edinburgh, 2014). The book was also selected as an ALA Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Title. Timestamps 02.32 The mausoleum was originally built by Saladin in 1180CE before a renovation by his successor, al-Malik al-Kāmil only 30 years later in 1211. Not much of Saladin's original building survives. Why don't you first give a physical description of the site? 04.30 At first blush, one would assume Saladin's intentions in building this mausoleum was an assertion of Sunni triumph over two centuries of Fatimid Shia-Ismaili rule but you argue that the construction of the mausoleum was actually part of a bitter intra-Sunni factional infighting between the Shāfiʿī-Ashʿarites and the Ḥanbalis. 10.12 Typically students of Islamic history rely on written chronicles for a narrative of events. How can a study of buildings and crafts contribute to a critical reading of these sources? 16.51 Turning to the present, you work on the conservation of antiquities and cultural heritage sites endangered by war and illegal trafficking. Tell us more about your work in this field and a call to action for our listeners. 22.41 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? Sponsors We are sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit IHRC bookshop at and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. We are also sponsored by Turath Publishing. Buy now An Introduction to Sahih al-Bukhari by Mustafa al-Azami. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit Turath Publishing at and use discount code POD15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact Turath Publishing for details. /episode/index/show/abbasidhistorypodcast/id/19856045

🎟EP029 Dr. Hannah Erlwein from Kalamopod on a brief history of Kalām (philosophy of religion within the Islamic ecumene) 07/03/2021

🎟EP029 Dr. Hannah Erlwein from Kalamopod on a brief history of Kalām (philosophy of religion within the Islamic ecumene) Literally 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. Erlwein completed her PhD at the School of Oriental and African Studies on Arguments for the Existence of God in Classical Islamic Thought which is now published and she is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Das Max-Planck-Institut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte or Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin. Timestamps 01.45 The term Kalām appears in the formative Abbasid period of early Islamic doctrine. What is the socio-political and intellectual-cultural context of its birth and development? 07.13 The practitioner of Kalām is known as a mutakallim. Tell us about some notable figures in the tradition. 11.43 The Islamic scholastic tradition across different school has a culture of texts, commentaries, supra-commentaries and summaries. This is helpful to trace genealogies of thought. Tell us about the contents of the earliest extant Kalām works and subsequent texts. 15.30 What do you feel is the enduring legacy of medieval Kalām for our world today and where should listeners turn to next for more information? 19.27 You currently host Kalamopod, a new podcast dedicated to the history of Kalām. Before you tell us more about that and other current projects that listeners can anticipate, tell us about your book Arguments for the Existence of God in Classical Islamic Thought. Sponsors We are sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit IHRC bookshop at and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. We are also sponsored by Turath Publishing. Buy now An Introduction to Sahih al-Bukhari by Mustafa al-Azami. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit Turath Publishing at and use discount code POD15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact Turath Publishing for details. /episode/index/show/abbasidhistorypodcast/id/19694273

EP028 Dr. Jonathan Brown on the life, works and legacy of hadith scholar al-Bukhārī (810-870CE) 06/28/2021

EP028 Dr. Jonathan Brown on the life, works and legacy of hadith scholar al-Bukhārī (810-870CE) Considered 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. 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-Bukhari and Muslim: the Formation and Function of the Sunni Hadith Canon". Timestamps 02.25 Al-Bukhari was born 810CE in present day Uzbekistan almost 60 years after the Abbasid revolution and just after the passing of the fabled caliph Hārūn al-Rashīd and the start of the Fourth Fitna civil war between his two sons, al-Amīn and al-Ma`mūn. What do we know about his socio-political and cultural context and what impact would it have on his formation as a scholar? 15.53 Al-Bukhari travelled extensively to collect ḥadīth including to the Levant and Egypt and died in 870CE in his country of birth. Give our listeners an overview of his life before we look at his works and legacy. 27.10 Al-Bukhari is best known for his Ṣaḥīḥ collection. Before we look at that in detail, described to us his other works. 35.31 There has been continued doubts cast on how authentic are the traditions recorded in al-Bukharī's work. What are broader consideration and premises that should be borne in mind when trying to reconcile these views and where should listeners go next to learn more about al-Bukhari and his works? 01.02.13 You are the author of "Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenges and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet’s Legacy", "Slavery and Islam" and other works. What are other current projects that listeners can anticipate? Sponsors We are sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit IHRC bookshop at and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. We are also sponsored by Turath Publishing. Buy now An Introduction to Sahih al-Bukhari by Mustafa al-Azami. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit Turath Publishing at and use discount code POD15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact Turath Publishing for details. ErrataAl-Ismāʿīlī died 371/981 and it was Abū Sufyān who asked the Prophet to marry Umm Ḥabībaḧ. /episode/index/show/abbasidhistorypodcast/id/19634480

EP027 Dr. Aaron Tugendhaft on philosopher al-Fārābī (d. 951CE), ISIS and Iconoclasm 04/17/2021

EP027 Dr. Aaron Tugendhaft on philosopher al-Fārābī (d. 951CE), ISIS and Iconoclasm In 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, , argues in his latest book "The Idols of ISIS: From Assyria to the Internet" that iconoclasm at heart is a political manifesto a matter understood by Abbasid philosopher Abū Naṣr al-Farābī (d.951CE). Dr. Tugendhaft received his PhD from the Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University in 2012 and also holds degrees in Art History and Social Thought from the University of Chicago. In 2013, he received the Jonas Greenfield Prize for Younger Semitists from the American Oriental Society. He currently teaches at Bard College Berlin. Timestamps 00.00 Introduction 02.40 Abū Naṣr al-Farābī (ca. 870–950) thought deeply about the relation between images and politics. He adapted the insights of ancient political philosophers—especially Plato and Aristotle—to make sense of prophetic religion. How do his political treatises shed light on Abraham's iconoclasm that ISIS claimed to uphold? 06.30 Where ISIS spoke of the need to cleanse the world of idols, their critics refer to a moral and legal imperative to protect cultural heritage. How do we see Al-Farābī's thesis play out in our contemporary context? 10.20 You also mention in your book how once archaeologists commonly removed so-called late levels—that is, medieval and modern Islamic remains—without recording them to get to the ancient layers underneath eliding the Islamic Middle East as though only the West beholds antiquity’s beauty today. What is called the "secular" can also have their idols, right? 13.30 Your book ends creatively employing al-Farābī's thoughts on images and politics in the age of video games. How would the philosopher have advised Trump? 22.55 Your book "The Idols of ISIS: From Assyria to the Internet" is published by University of Chicago Press. What are other current projects that listeners can anticipate? Dr. Tugendhaft, Thank you for being a guest on the Abbasid History Podcast! Sponsors We are sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit IHRC bookshop at and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. We are sponsored by Turath Publishing. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit Turath Publishing at and use discount code POD15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact Turath Publishing for details. /episode/index/show/abbasidhistorypodcast/id/18758618

EP026 Dr. Philip Grant on the Zanj Revolt 869-883CE: A Slave Uprising against the Caliphate 04/12/2021

EP026 Dr. Philip Grant on the Zanj Revolt 869-883CE: A Slave Uprising against the Caliphate In 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 , co-author of the "Chains of Finance" published by Oxford University Press. Timestamps 00.00 Introduction 02.09 The Zanj Revolt occurred in the salt marshes around Basra while the Caliphate was already preoccupied with their longtime Byzantine nemesis and other civil conflicts. What do we know about socio-political and economic context of the Zanj Revolt and the religio-cultural cauldron of the time? 09.55 There were prior unsuccessful revolts but the 869 revolt would prove devastating with siege and sacking of major cities. Narrate for us the contours of events. 28.07 An enigmatic leader emerges called ʿAlī b. Muḥammad who claims descent from the Prophet's household and other elements disenfranchised with the Caliphate join the revolt. What do we about this figure? 36.43 The long term consequences and analysis of events are disputed by historians some emphasising class over race, if it isn't anachronistic to use those term. The legacy of slavery is a sore point for many Muslims and Arabs today. How do you evaluate the Zanj revolt in the bigger scheme of things? 51.45 You are a co-author of "Chains of Finance" on a subject which seems a far call from medieval Iraq and Iran, that being contemporary investment management and you also translate Persian. What are other current projects our listeners can anticipate? Sponsors We are sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit IHRC bookshop at and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. We are also sponsored by Turath Publishing. Buy in time for Ramadan a limited edition of Mufti Taqi Usmani's new translation of the Quran with explanatory notes in a deluxe thermo-leather bound hard cover. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit Turath Publishing at and use discount code POD15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact Turath Publishing for details. /episode/index/show/abbasidhistorypodcast/id/18695903

EP025 Dr. Ahab Bdaiwi on Shaykh al-Mufīd (c.948-1022): Life, Works and Legacy of a Seminal Shia Scholar 04/04/2021

EP025 Dr. Ahab Bdaiwi on Shaykh al-Mufīd (c.948-1022): Life, Works and Legacy of a Seminal Shia Scholar To discuss with us the life, works and legacy of Shaykh al-Mufīd is . 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 the reign of al-Qādir billāh in 991CE. Tell us about the socio-political and intellectual context of his life. 09.00 Shaykh al-Mufīd had a tumultuous life being exiled from Baghdad three times. He is also known as Ibn al-Muʿallim, son of the teacher, owing to his father's occupation. He dies in Ramadan 1022CE and is buried beside the sixth Shia imam Mūsā al-Kāẓim. What do we know about the life and career of Shaykh al-Mufīd? 15.16 Shaykh al-Mufīd has nearly 200 works attributed to him although only 10 survive. He was known to debate opponents and left a lasting legacy upon Islamic jurisprudence. What do we know about these works? 26.53 Shaykh al-Mufīd's land of birth continues to experience tumult between those who regard themselves as heirs to the conflicts of his time. He is commemorated annually on 9th September in Iran's official calendar. How do you evaluate Shaykh al-Mufīd's lasting legacy? 30.11 You are a co-editor of the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Shiʿi Islam with Prof. Sajjad Rizvi. What are any other current projects listeners can anticipate? Sponsors We are sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit IHRC bookshop at and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. We are also sponsored by Turath Publishing. Buy in time for Ramadan a limited edition of Mufti Taqi Usmani's new translation of the Quran with explanatory notes in a deluxe thermo-leather bound hard cover. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit Turath Publishing at and use discount code POD15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact Turath Publishing for details. /episode/index/show/abbasidhistorypodcast/id/18595154

Abbasid History Podcast

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