Beyond Orientalism: Ahmad Ibn Qasim Al-Hajari Between Europe and North AfricaThe first in-depth study of the collaborative intellectual exchange between the European and the Arabic Republics of Letters. Beyond Orientalism reformulates our understanding of the early modern Mediterranean through the remarkable life and career of Moroccan polymath Ahmad Ibn Qâsim al-Hajarî (ca. 1570-1641). By showing Hajarî’s active engagement with some of the most prominent European Orientalists of his time, Oumelbanine Zhiri makes the case for the existence of an Arabic Republic of Letters that operated in parallel to its European counterpart. A major corrective to the long-held view of Orientalism that accords agency only to Europeans, Beyond Orientalism emphasizes the active role played by Hajarî and other “Orientals” inside and outside of Europe in some of the most significant intellectual movements of the age. Zhiri explores the multiple interactions between these two networks of intellectuals, decentering Europe to reveal how Hajarî worked collaboratively to circulate knowledge among Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. |
Contents
The discovery of the Lead Books near Granada | 19 |
View of Marrakesh in 1641 | 22 |
Portrait of Thomas Erpenius | 28 |
Letter from Ahmad alHajarī to Thomas Erpenius | 37 |
PART | 79 |
The poem La blanca paloma by Ahmad alHajarī | 84 |
A Lead Book | 105 |
Last page of a manuscript of alRisāla alZakūtiyya The Epistle of Zakūt | 126 |
PART THREE | 143 |
Letter from Ahmad alHajarī to Jacob Golius | 156 |
A page of the manuscript of Ibn Baklārishs Mustaīnī copied by Ahmad alHajarī | 157 |
Map of the site of Aier | 162 |
Page of manuscript of the Kitāb alizz by Ibrāhīm Ghānim | 192 |
First page of table of contents of the Kitāb alizz | 200 |
Manuscript of the Kitāb alizz incendiary devices thrown by hand | 204 |
Last page of the Kitab alizz manuscript | 211 |
Molyneux Celestial and Terrestrial Globes | 128 |
The socalled Cup of Chosroes | 139 |
Conclusion | 217 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abraham Ecchellensis Ahmad al-Hajarī Ahmad al-Mansur Aier al-Andalus ARAB WRITER Arabic language ARTILLERY AND PRACTICAL BECOMING AN ARAB Brill cannons captive career century chapter Christian collaboration CONNECTED REPUBLIC CONTACT ZONE converted cosmography culture defense diplomatic Dutch Early Modern Europe early modern Orientalism Eastern Erpenius European scholars exchange France French García-Arenal Ghānim Granada gunners guns Hajarī Hubert Ibrāhīm important intellectual Islamic Istanbul Jacob Golius Juan Kitāb Lead Books learned Leiden Leo Africanus Maghrib manuscripts Maronite Marrakesh Mediterranean military Moriscos Moroccan Morocco Muhammad muhandis Mūlay Zaydān Muslim Networks of Orientalism North Africa NOTES TO PAGES Orientalists Ottoman Pallache Paris polemical political PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE Quran Rabat religion religious Republic of Letters role Ruyl Sa'di Safi Saint-Mandrier scholarly seventeenth-century siècle SIHM Spain Spanish sultan Supporter technical tion trans translation travels treatise Tunis Turkish University Press Wiegers writing wrote الله