Head On History

In light of the ongoing crackdowns in Xinjiang, this special episode explores the history of Islam in China. Pushing back against some of the narratives that imagine Islam as a foreign threat, we look at the premodern history of Islam and how it arrived in China. We talk about the early connections between the Rashidun Caliphate and the Tang Dynasty. We explore how Islam was localized over several centuries, the impact on Chinese society, and in turn how Islam itself was shaped by merchants and traders in China. We talk about the cultural renaissance under the Yuan dynasty and how the premodern history complicates the contemporary politics.

Recommended Books:

Peterson, Kristian. Interpreting Islam in China: Pilgrimage, Scripture, and Language in Han Kitab. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2017.

Thum, Rian. The Sacred Routes of Uyghur History. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2014.

Continuing from last week's episode on Islam in Southeast Asia, in this podcast we take a closer look at the melding of Islam and folk religion in Javanese and Malay practices. We start with the story of famed Sufi saints like Sheikh Siti Jenar then examine the slametan feast as a ceremony that fuses Islam with local customs. We look at kejewen and the healing and mystical traditions that incorporate Sufism with the folk traditions and lore of Java. This leads us to an exploration of the cosmology and spiritualism of healing rituals. We spend some time on the spirits and ghosts of the land that endure and even the sex shrine of Mount Kemukas. Finally we talk about Malay folk stories like that of the mouse deer and crocodile as well as the shamans who fuse Islam with Malay folk remedies.

Heading East from our last episode this podcast examines the entrance of Islam into Southeast Asia. Following the naval trade of the Indian Ocean we trace Islam to the port cities of Java, Sumatra, and the islands of Indonesia and Malaysia. We discuss the rise of the Malacca Sultanate and travel to Samudera Pasai as we relate the story of Islam through merchants, kings, mystics, and scholars. We explore how Islam was integrated into the administration of rulers, how Muslim scholars undertook conversion missions, and how the rural healers fused Islam with indigenous Javanese spirituality.

Book recommendations:

Chaudhuri, K. N. Trade and Civilization in Indian Ocean: An Economic History From the Rise of Islam to 1750. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985.

Ricci, Ronit. Islam Translated: Literature, Conversion, and the Arabic Cosmopolis of South and Southeast Asia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2016.

Tagliacozza, Eric. Southeast Asia and the Middle East: Islam, Movement, and the Longue Duree. Palo Alto, Stanford University Press, 2009.

Who is Al Khidr and what can he tell us about Islam? In this episode we examine the enigmatic figure of Al Khidr, recording his appearance in the Qur'an, the Hadith, and Al Tabari's Tarikh. We explore his connections to other figures in world religions through a study of his name and his associations. We study his connections to Zoroastrianism's Anahita and Ugartic deities and Jewish mysticism. By examining Al Khidr we place Islam within a specific cultural-religious milieu that tells us about the history of the religion and the way it developed over time.

Concluding our mini series within the season on Islam and the Maghrib this episode looks at the history of Islam and Europe's relationship. Arguing that while Islam and Europe imagine one another as oppositional civilization identities, the history reveals a much more entangled and intertwined reality. We talk about the diplalomatic alliances between Christian Kings and Muslim governors, the embassies between the Carolingian dynasty and the Abbasid Caliphate. We talk about the famed Abul Abbas the elephant and the impact of Muslim scholarship on Europe. We trace trade routes and intellectual routes from the influence of Timbuktu on geography and map-making in Europe to the Ibn Rushd as the forefather of the Renaissance and Enlightenment. Finally we end with the story of the famous Mansa Musa of Mali.

In a break with our regularly scheduled podcast, this Head on History Special peaks behind the curtain of professional history to covers the latest controversy with AP World History. Starting with a brief coverage of the news that College Board will restructured AP World History to only cover and test history post-1450, we dive into the deeper history of the field of world history. We go over the rough historiography of world history, the rise of the new discipline, it's relationship to Western Civilization courses, and why it matters a field. We discuss the importance of history as identity-shaping and why changes in World History are problematic. We also present the background of College Board. Join us for a historiography and discussion about the debate and controversy behind world history as a field and in our public education system.

Islam expanded first into Africa before anywhere else. In this episode we trace the history of Islam in Africa. Starting with the hijra to Axum/Aksum by the early Muslim community, we trace the political conquests of the Rashidun and the Umayyad. We examine the importance of trade routes to the bringing of wealth, books, and preachers into the Maghreb and the partnership with Berbers to Islam. We dig deep into the scholarly tradition of Islamic Africa from Abdallah ibn Yasin to the University Al Qaraouiyine, taking a short detour to discuss the impact of the world's oldest degree-granting university on Europe. We spend some time with the Almoravids and their bridging of Morocco to Al Andalus. Finally we conclude with a look at how Islam was shaped by African traditions, the development of Sufism, and the poetry of Al Burda by Al Busiri.

What is Al Andalus and the history of Islam in the Iberian Peninsula? Join us as we take a closer look at the Muslim expansions into Portugal and Spain. In part one of two of discussing Islam in the Maghreb, we examine the Berber and Moorish influences on art, architecture, culture, cuisine, and even music. After we establish the political history of the region with a brief chronology of events and dynasties we then dig deeper into the intellectual and cultural contribution of Al Andalus to world history. We pay particular attention to the way Muslims, Jews, and Christians created a society who influence is still felt in western Europe. From the philosophies of Ibn Rush (Averroes) and Ibn Sina (Avicenna) to the contribution of Ibn Haytham, we look at how Muslim thought carries over into the Renaissance and Enlightenment. We conclude with the Reconquista

With the arrival of Ramadan, faithful Muslims around the world partake in fasting and prayer. In this episode of Head on History we discuss the origins of the practice. We start with the Qur'anic and theological explanation for Ramadan and then work towards historicizing the practice within the context of the Hijra and the religious climate of Arabia. We then discuss the major religious practices associated with Ramadan from fasting to prayer and alms-giving. We cover some of the cultural practices associated with Ramadan as Islam spread and incorporated different traditions. Finally we discuss the seemingly eternal debate over moon-sighting and the beginning and end of Ramadan.

In our special episode of Head on History we examine the history of US-Iran relations. In light of the increased tension on the Golan Heights and Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran Deal we look at the historical context. We examine the source of the hostility and mistrust between the two nations, going back to CIA backed coup in the 1950s through the Iranian Revolution, the hostage crisis, and even the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980's. We take a close look at how the built up resentment has formed an orthodoxy within American foreign policy and it's crippling effect on diplomacy. We then look at the origin of the Iran Deal or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and its implications for stability in the region.