During the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries, German universities were at ... more During the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries, German universities were at the forefront of scholarship in Oriental studies. Drawing upon a comprehensive survey of thousands of German publications on the Middle East from this period, this book presents a detailed history of the development of Orientalism. Offering an alternative to the view of Orientalism as a purely intellectual pursuit or solely as a function of politics, this book traces the development of the discipline as a profession. The author discusses the interrelation between research choices and employment opportunities at German universities, examining the history of the discipline within the framework of the humanities. On that basis, topics such as the establishment of Oriental philology, the process of institutional differentiation between the study of Semitic languages and the study of Sanskrit and comparative linguistics, the emergence of Assyriology and the partial establishment of Islamic studies are explored. This unique perspective on the history of Oriental studies in the German tradition contributes to the understanding of the wider history of the field, and will be of great interest to scholars and students of Middle East studies, history and German history in particular. Ursula Wokoeck teaches Middle East history at the Rothberg International School, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and at the Department for Middle East Studies, Ben-Gurion University; her research interests focus on developments in historiography and the social and legal history of the modern Middle East.
... reading by Marx and Engels. Thorner, in particular, listed factual errors, and pointed out th... more ... reading by Marx and Engels. Thorner, in particular, listed factual errors, and pointed out that Marx was mistaken in saying that communal property had never existed in either Mughal or post-Mughal India. Others have remarked that ...
International Journal of Middle East Studies, 2013
not focusing so relentlessly on Zionism’s unique aspects. The lament of the last part of the book... more not focusing so relentlessly on Zionism’s unique aspects. The lament of the last part of the book—that the Hebrew language is the cause of current stalled debates in Israel—seems odd from an American perspective. The United States has a closely divided polity, with many stalled debates, yet the English language did not have to unmoor itself from its theological status. We have intractable and persistent debates—about abortion, the role of government, and so on—because people deeply disagree. Language surely matters, but the idea that a certain kind of language is befitting of democracy, and that if only Israel had it the debates within that country would be more productive, is hard to fathom. This argument overreaches, but does not detract from the richness of the rest of the book. For those who want to wade into late 19thand early 20th-century discussions about time and progress; for those who want a clear understanding of the role of building in Zionism that continues in Israel to this day; and for those who want to understand how early Zionists wrestled with making Hebrew a modern language, this book has much to offer.
International Journal of Middle East Studies, 2010
loyal Muslim prince and guarantor of his followers’ support of British dominion. Agha Khan III’s ... more loyal Muslim prince and guarantor of his followers’ support of British dominion. Agha Khan III’s relationship with the imperial government and colonial agents, as van Grondelle indicates in Chapters 4 through 7, was intimate and important due to the presence of Nizari Isma–ilis in many corners of the British Empire. As described in Chapter 7, Agha Khan III confided in the British government and sought its approval when he unexpectedly designated his grandson Karim rather than his son –Ali as a successor. Another example of the close relationship that existed between the British and the Agha Khans is of course the continued use of the royal address “Highness” for the postindependence Karim Agha Khan IV. Van Grondelle provides many other fascinating examples of cooperation, collusion, and cooptation in the six chapters (Chapters 3–8) on the British government’s relations with the Agha Khans. The general outline of British–Agha Khan relations has already been established by others writing on the Nizari Isma–ilis, such as Farhad Daftary in his master narrative, The Ismailis: Their History and Doctrines (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990). Van Grondelle’s contribution is to focus on the British imperial perspective on that relationship and its evolution from one of diffidence to vested interest, especially during the early 20th century. The relationship between Britain and the Agha Khans continued into the postcolonial period in part due to precedent as well as the fact that by the mid-20th century Nizari Isma–ilis constituted important diaspora communities (economically if not demographically speaking) in areas of the British Commonwealth. Although van Grondelle’s narrative ends somewhat arbitrarily in 1969, it sheds detailed and intimate light on the relationship between the British and the Agha Khans and is therefore useful for those interested in the special status of this Isma–ili community in British history. The potential broader significance of van Grondelle’s project, however, is unfortunately unexplored given the author’s exclusive focus on community leaders. Van Grondelle hoped to make his book accessible to a nonspecialist audience—one that includes policymakers—but in this reviewer’s opinion his work undermines itself by virtue of its narrowly conceived inquiry.
... 1. Introduction 2. Working at the university 3. Writings and writers on the Middle East 4. Th... more ... 1. Introduction 2. Working at the university 3. Writings and writers on the Middle East 4. The establishment of modern Oriental studies 5. The beginning of differentiation: Sanskrit and Semitic languages 6. The emergence of Assyriology 7. Islamic studies: The emergence of a (sub ...
... Each student has to prepare three presentations: (a) a summary of an additional reading assig... more ... Each student has to prepare three presentations: (a) a summary of an additional reading assignment (to be chosen from among items in the bibliography) to be submitted in writing (3 pages, max.) and presented orally in class; (b) a written summary (3 pages ... 4 Said's Orientalism ...
During the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries, German universities were at ... more During the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries, German universities were at the forefront of scholarship in Oriental studies. Drawing upon a comprehensive survey of thousands of German publications on the Middle East from this period, this book presents a detailed history of the development of Orientalism. Offering an alternative to the view of Orientalism as a purely intellectual pursuit or solely as a function of politics, this book traces the development of the discipline as a profession. The author discusses the interrelation between research choices and employment opportunities at German universities, examining the history of the discipline within the framework of the humanities. On that basis, topics such as the establishment of Oriental philology, the process of institutional differentiation between the study of Semitic languages and the study of Sanskrit and comparative linguistics, the emergence of Assyriology and the partial establishment of Islamic studies are explored. This unique perspective on the history of Oriental studies in the German tradition contributes to the understanding of the wider history of the field, and will be of great interest to scholars and students of Middle East studies, history and German history in particular. Ursula Wokoeck teaches Middle East history at the Rothberg International School, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and at the Department for Middle East Studies, Ben-Gurion University; her research interests focus on developments in historiography and the social and legal history of the modern Middle East.
... reading by Marx and Engels. Thorner, in particular, listed factual errors, and pointed out th... more ... reading by Marx and Engels. Thorner, in particular, listed factual errors, and pointed out that Marx was mistaken in saying that communal property had never existed in either Mughal or post-Mughal India. Others have remarked that ...
International Journal of Middle East Studies, 2013
not focusing so relentlessly on Zionism’s unique aspects. The lament of the last part of the book... more not focusing so relentlessly on Zionism’s unique aspects. The lament of the last part of the book—that the Hebrew language is the cause of current stalled debates in Israel—seems odd from an American perspective. The United States has a closely divided polity, with many stalled debates, yet the English language did not have to unmoor itself from its theological status. We have intractable and persistent debates—about abortion, the role of government, and so on—because people deeply disagree. Language surely matters, but the idea that a certain kind of language is befitting of democracy, and that if only Israel had it the debates within that country would be more productive, is hard to fathom. This argument overreaches, but does not detract from the richness of the rest of the book. For those who want to wade into late 19thand early 20th-century discussions about time and progress; for those who want a clear understanding of the role of building in Zionism that continues in Israel to this day; and for those who want to understand how early Zionists wrestled with making Hebrew a modern language, this book has much to offer.
International Journal of Middle East Studies, 2010
loyal Muslim prince and guarantor of his followers’ support of British dominion. Agha Khan III’s ... more loyal Muslim prince and guarantor of his followers’ support of British dominion. Agha Khan III’s relationship with the imperial government and colonial agents, as van Grondelle indicates in Chapters 4 through 7, was intimate and important due to the presence of Nizari Isma–ilis in many corners of the British Empire. As described in Chapter 7, Agha Khan III confided in the British government and sought its approval when he unexpectedly designated his grandson Karim rather than his son –Ali as a successor. Another example of the close relationship that existed between the British and the Agha Khans is of course the continued use of the royal address “Highness” for the postindependence Karim Agha Khan IV. Van Grondelle provides many other fascinating examples of cooperation, collusion, and cooptation in the six chapters (Chapters 3–8) on the British government’s relations with the Agha Khans. The general outline of British–Agha Khan relations has already been established by others writing on the Nizari Isma–ilis, such as Farhad Daftary in his master narrative, The Ismailis: Their History and Doctrines (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990). Van Grondelle’s contribution is to focus on the British imperial perspective on that relationship and its evolution from one of diffidence to vested interest, especially during the early 20th century. The relationship between Britain and the Agha Khans continued into the postcolonial period in part due to precedent as well as the fact that by the mid-20th century Nizari Isma–ilis constituted important diaspora communities (economically if not demographically speaking) in areas of the British Commonwealth. Although van Grondelle’s narrative ends somewhat arbitrarily in 1969, it sheds detailed and intimate light on the relationship between the British and the Agha Khans and is therefore useful for those interested in the special status of this Isma–ili community in British history. The potential broader significance of van Grondelle’s project, however, is unfortunately unexplored given the author’s exclusive focus on community leaders. Van Grondelle hoped to make his book accessible to a nonspecialist audience—one that includes policymakers—but in this reviewer’s opinion his work undermines itself by virtue of its narrowly conceived inquiry.
... 1. Introduction 2. Working at the university 3. Writings and writers on the Middle East 4. Th... more ... 1. Introduction 2. Working at the university 3. Writings and writers on the Middle East 4. The establishment of modern Oriental studies 5. The beginning of differentiation: Sanskrit and Semitic languages 6. The emergence of Assyriology 7. Islamic studies: The emergence of a (sub ...
... Each student has to prepare three presentations: (a) a summary of an additional reading assig... more ... Each student has to prepare three presentations: (a) a summary of an additional reading assignment (to be chosen from among items in the bibliography) to be submitted in writing (3 pages, max.) and presented orally in class; (b) a written summary (3 pages ... 4 Said's Orientalism ...
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