Sultan, Caliph, and the Renewer of the Faith: Aḥmad Lobbo, the Tārīkh al-fattāsh and the Making of an Islamic State in West Africa

Author:   Mauro Nobili (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)
Publisher:   Cambridge University Press
ISBN:  

9781108479509


Pages:   288
Publication Date:   19 March 2020
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   In stock   Availability explained
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.

Our Price $232.88 Quantity:  
Add to Cart

Share |

Sultan, Caliph, and the Renewer of the Faith: Aḥmad Lobbo, the Tārīkh al-fattāsh and the Making of an Islamic State in West Africa


Add your own review!

Overview

Full Product Details

Author:   Mauro Nobili (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)
Publisher:   Cambridge University Press
Imprint:   Cambridge University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.70cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.530kg
ISBN:  

9781108479509


ISBN 10:   1108479502
Pages:   288
Publication Date:   19 March 2020
Audience:   General/trade ,  College/higher education ,  General ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock   Availability explained
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.

Table of Contents

Introduction; Part I. A Nineteenth Century Chronicle in Support of the Caliphate of Hamdallāhi: Nūḥ B. Al-Ṭāhir's Tārīkh al-fattāsh: 1. A century of scholarship; 2. The Tārīkh al-fattāsh: a nineteenth-century chronicle; Part II. A Contested Space of Compating Claims: the Middle Niger, 1810s–1840s; 3. The emergence of clerical rule in the Middle Niger; 4. Aḥmad Lobbo, Timbuktu, and the Kunta; 5. Fluctuating diplomacy: Ḥamdallāhi and Sokoto; Part III. The Circulation and Reception of the Tārīkh al-fattāsh, 1840s–2010s: 6. The Tārīkh al-fattāsh at work; Conclusion.

Reviews

'A 'whodunit' par excellence! Nobili's engagement with the Tarikh al-Fattash and the Caliphate of Hamdullahi unravels their complicated, intertwined historiography. He reshapes our understanding of the whole Middle Niger region in the early-to-mid- 19th century and convincingly argues for a re-articulated meaning of authority and power as contested at the time. This book is seminal to the field.' E. Ann McDougall, University of Alberta, Canada 'A compelling work of historical and literary detective work, Nobili's study of the Tarikh al-Fattash is an important exploration of the role of Islamic literature and the unseen, in the legitimation of political authority in 19-century Africa. Focusing on the Sultanate of Ahmad Lobbo, Nobili demonstrates not only that the famed Tarikh was a work of relatively recent vintage based on earlier works, but that it was composed at least in part to substantiate Lobbo's claims to authority based on earlier esoteric prophecy. This timely work constitutes a substantial addition to the literature on the intersection between political authority and the Islamic 'unseen'. It will be important reading for anyone interested in Islamic political authority, historiography or the esoteric.' Scott S. Reese, Northern Arizona University 'A 'whodunit' par excellence! Nobili's engagement with the Tarikh al-Fattash and the Caliphate of Hamdullahi unravels their complicated, intertwined historiography. He reshapes our understanding of the whole Middle Niger region in the early-to-mid- 19th century and convincingly argues for a re-articulated meaning of authority and power as contested at the time. This book is seminal to the field.' E. Ann McDougall, University of Alberta, Canada 'A compelling work of historical and literary detective work, Nobili's study of the Tarikh al-Fattash is an important exploration of the role of Islamic literature and the unseen, in the legitimation of political authority in 19-century Africa. Focusing on the Sultanate of Ahmad Lobbo, Nobili demonstrates not only that the famed Tarikh was a work of relatively recent vintage based on earlier works, but that it was composed at least in part to substantiate Lobbo's claims to authority based on earlier esoteric prophecy. This timely work constitutes a substantial addition to the literature on the intersection between political authority and the Islamic 'unseen'. It will be important reading for anyone interested in Islamic political authority, historiography or the esoteric.' Scott S. Reese, Northern Arizona University


Author Information

Mauro Nobili is Assistant Professor at the Department of History and the Center for African Studies at the University of Illinois. A historian of pre-colonial and early-colonial West Africa, he has published on West African chronicles and Arabic calligraphies including in the journal History of Africa. He has been the recipient of several prestigious awards, including a National Endowment for Humanities grant.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions
Latest Reading Guide

wl

Shopping Cart
Your cart is empty
Shopping cart
Mailing List