Muslim Societies in African History (New Approaches to African History) [Paperback]

David Robinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 12, 2004 | ISBN-10: 052153366X | ISBN-13: 978-0521533669

This book examines a series of processes (Islamization, Arabization, Africanization) and case studies from the Muslim societies of Africa over the last thousand years. In contrast to traditions suggesting that Islam did not take root in Africa, David Robinson depicts the complex struggles of Muslims throughout the continent: in Morocco and the Hausaland region of Nigeria; the "pagan" societies of Ashanti (Ghana) and Buganda (Uganda); and the ostensibly Christian state of Ethiopia. "Further reading" sections suggest how undergraduate readers can pursue research, and illustrations and maps supplement the text.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Undoubtedly, the importance of this publication goes beyond its uniqueness as the first undergraduate textbook to cover the historical spread and appropriation of Islam in Africa in such a comprehensive manner....The greatest strength of Robinson's case studies lies in the questions they raise, questions that are still acutely relevant to Muslim communities today and are at the center of global debates about Islam, both inside and outside Muslim communities."-Rahma Bavelaar, IslamOnline.net

Book Description

This book examines a series of processes (Islamization, arabization, africanization) and case studies from the Muslim societies of Africa over the last thousand years. In contrast to traditions which suggest that Islam did not take root in Africa, Robinson shows the complex struggles of Muslims thoughout the continent: in Morocco and in the Hausaland region of Nigeria, in the "pagan" societies of Ashanti (Ghana) and Buganda (Uganda), and in the ostensibly Christian state of Ethiopia. "Further reading" sections suggest how undergraduate readers may follow up on the themes of this volume, while illustrations and maps make the processes and case studies concrete.

Product Details

• Paperback: 242 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (January 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 052153366X
• ISBN-13: 978-0521533669
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #313,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended, July 16, 2008

By 

Dr. Jean Robert Sohoka (Dakar, Senegal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Muslim Societies in African History (New Approaches to African History) (Paperback)

Islam did struggle in Africa to anchor its roots.
Its influence made a huge impact on African subculture.
Arts, ethics, architecture, and political ideologies of today are in part remnant of such influence.
However, the African tribal psychology did not totally succumb to Islam dogma.
Confrontation did happen in the past.
And today, such confrontation extends to other segments of our social life.
The book refers to this confrontation, and to the ethnic identity of African societies that is still struggling against rigid Islamic view of modernization and contemporary social values.
I enjoyed the book.
It is not a reflection of my personal opinions, nevertheless it depicts an accurate picture of our social condition, national identity and resistance at a cultural level.

4.0 out of 5 stars Ancient African History, April 18, 2011

By 

J. Garcia III - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Muslim Societies in African History (New Approaches to African History) (Paperback)

If you are looking for a book that will give the entire history of the African continent this is your book. It begins with how humans are believed to evolve from this area and then moves to ancient Egypt and beyond! It is a required text for my African Civilizations class in college and is extremely informational.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing and Incomplete, March 15, 2009

By 

Randall L. Pouwels "Mimbresman" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Muslim Societies in African History (New Approaches to African History) (Paperback)

Professor Robinson is one among this nation's better scholars of the history of Islam in West Africa. However, therein lies the weakness of this particular title. This study of Islam in Africa essentially is a work that greatly privileges his region of specialization. Robinson concerns himself with Islam in North and West Africa, while he leaves out entirely any mention of the eastern Sudanic region, as well as Central and South Africa. He devotes scant attention to East Africa, and, where he chooses to include material from there, oddly enough, he directs his readers' attention primarily to Uganda, a part of Africa where Islam arrived only in the past two centuries and where it is still on its periphery. The far more venerable story of Islam among the Swahili of the East coast, perhaps the oldest Islamic tradition on the continent, barely gets mentioned.

Robinson deserves praise for covering some important themes, but even here he falls short because he fails to explore these systematically or in any depth. Readers who look for a narrative that furnishes them with an analysis of the ways Islam was introduced to Africa and its subsequent progress, will also be disappointed. The result of these inadequacies is a work that is spotty in its overall coverage and in the quality of the treatment the author provides his readers. Simply put, there are better works to be found elsewhere.