Course Guides
History 164, 340, 341, 342
Perspectives on Muslim History and Civilization
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Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, World's Transportation Commission Photograph Collection, W7-148 |
Professor: David Thomas,
dthomas@ric.edu
Librarian: Patricia Brennan,
tbrennan@ric.edu
HELIN Catalog
Rhode Island College is a member of a consortium of seven colleges called HELIN: the Higher Education Library Information Network. Together we have created a shared system of electronic resources including an Online Catalog, which is also called HELIN. The HELIN Catalog provides the main access to the collections of all the HELIN libraries, including James P. Adams Library. HELIN contains records for books, periodicals and journals, government documents, curriculum materials, sound recordings, and electronic resources.
Strategies for searching the HELIN Catalog:
Subject Headings
- Civilization,
Arab
Here are entered works on the civilization of the Arab countries for all periods, or for the pre-Islamic or modern periods only. Works on the medieval civilization of the Middle East, North Africa and Arab Spain collectively are entered under Civilization, Islamic. Works on the civilization of the Islamic countries for all periods, or for the pre-Islamic or modern periods only, as well as non-Islamic culture during the medieval period, are entered under Islamic countries--Civilization. Modern works of a predominantly religious nature discussing the contemporary problems and prospects of Islam and desirable changes, including works which advocate a civilization or society based on the teachings of Islam, are entered under Islam--20th century
- Civilization, Islamic
- Muslims
Here are entered works on the community of believers in Islam. Works on the religion of which Muhammad is the prophet are entered under Islam. Works on the group of countries in which the majority of the people are Muslims or in which Islam is the established religion are entered under Islamic countries. Works on the cultural system or civilization erected on the foundation of the religion Islam are entered under specific headings according to period covered, e.g. see Civilization, Islamic (above) for the medieval period or see Islamic countries (below)--Civilization for the modern period and general works.
- Islamic countries
- Arab
countries
Here are entered works treating collectively the Arabic-speaking countries of Asia and Africa. Works on the region consisting of Asia west of Pakistan, northeastern Africa and occasionally Greece and Pakistan are entered under Middle East (below).
- Middle East
- Islamic fundamentalism
Subject Keywords
- muslim*
This strategy will retrieve all subjects with the words Muslim or Muslims, including Muslim women; Muslim pilgrims; Scholars, Muslim; or Muslims-History.
- islam*
or
islamic
The first strategy will retrieve all subjects that include the root Islam, including all those with the adjective Islamic, such as Islam and politics; Islamic countries; Islamic Empire; or Art, Islamic.
The second strategy will retrieve subjects that include the adjective Islamic, but not the noun Islam.
Browse Online or Shelves by Call Number
- DS38 Muslims
Reference Works
- The Encyclopedia of Islam (new edition)
REF DS37.E5 1960 (+ supplements)The most authoritative reference work in English on Islam as a religion and as a civilization. The signed articles are unparalleled in their scholarship. Subject areas from history and geography to sciences, arts and manners are covered along with all aspects of religious belief and practice. The writing is complex and dense: consult some of the more introductory works cited below first and return to this work for more detail.
- Atlas of the Islam World Since 1500
REF DS35.6.R6 1982
A very accessible work, profusely illustrated with maps, photographs, tables, and charts, such as a chronological chart of Islamic regional development and a table listing rulers of the Islamic world. Documents the transmission of Islamic culture from generation to generation and from state to state over 500 years. Includes an extensive final bibliography.
- Muslim
Peoples: a World Ethnographic Survey
REF DS 35.625.A1M87 1984From the Acehnese of Indonesia to the Yoruk of Turkey, this two-volume overview shows the variety of ethnic groups whose one common characteristic is an adherence to Islam. Valuable bibliographies at the end of each section.
This item may be on Reserve. Click the title for the current status.
- Peoples of the World: the Middle East and North Africa
REF DS58.H6 1992Divided into five sections: Ancient cultures, Middle East religions, Arabs, Cultures today (by ethnic group, i.e. Bedouin, Iraqi, Kurds), and Countries today. Includes a modest bibliography.
- The Middle East
REF DS63.1.M484 2005
This two-part work first considers the entire region, touching on issues such as historic importance as a trade center and Islamic fundamentalism. The second part presents country-by-country profiles, each including a sketch on pre-2oth century history and a somewhat fuller account of recent history. Includes a short list of additional readings.
- Atlas of the Middle East (Central Intelligence Agency)
REF G2205.M53 1993Divided in two parts, the atlas first presents regional maps and tables by topic (i.e. religion, ethnicity, borders, history, etc.) and then covers each country with a separate set of maps and charts. Informative and highly accurate up to the date of publication.
- Historical Atlas of the Muslim Peoples
REF G1786.S1R6Beautiful water-colored maps principally covering the period through the Ottoman Empire.
- Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures
REF HQ1170 .E53 2003 (4 volumes of 6 — in progress)This multivolume encyclopedia attempts to cover "all facets of the life of women in the civilizations and societies in which Islam has played a historic role." [I:xxi]
v. 1. Methodologies, paradigms and sources Ð note particularly the bibliography of publications on women in Islam in European languages from 1993 -2006 for major recent books in English. The overview essays in Volume 1 give background on the topical and regional entries which make up volumes 2-5.
v. 2. Family, law and politics
v. 3. Family, body, sexuality and health
v. 4. Economics, education, mobility and space
Since Volume 6 (cumulative index ) has not yet been published, use the Tables of Contents of each volume to select relevant topics (i.e. Political-Social Movements; Youth Culture; etc.) or geographic areas (i.e. Malaysia; North Africa; etc.).
Periodical Indices
- Academic
Search Premier
Sample strategy: (muslim* or islam*) AND [here you can insert the name of a country, such as Indonesia, or a second concept, such as "cultur*] The asterisk is a truncation symbol which enables you to retrieve muslim/muslims or culture/cultures/cultural with a single term.
Hint: Consider choosing only the Peer-reviewed. This may improve the quality of your search results.
- JSTOR
Sample strategy: Four boxes are available for search terms. Change the drop-down menus to the right of each box to read "full text." Then try "muslim" OR "muslims" coupled with a third term. "Islam" OR "islamic" should also be tried. Be sure to choose All History Journals as the first set in which to search. Consider also trying the sets for Asian Studies, Anthropology, Philosophy, Political Science, and Sociology.
Free Web Resources
The sites listed here have been chosen for their academic value and relevance to this course. For a discussion of the criteria to be used in evaluating websites for academic purposes, please see The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: a page created by Susan Beck, Head of the Humanities and Social Sciences Department , New Mexico State University Library.
Global Connections: the Middle East
A comprehensive source for learning about the middle east/Muslim world
Internet Islamic History Sourcebook by Paul Halsall
Housed at Fordham University, this rich site has many links to full-text documents, both primary and secondary. Sites with a non-academic agenda are usually labeled as such. A chronological approach is used and coverage includes issues and developments from Muhammad to "The Islamic world since 1945." In addition to direct links to documents, links are made to a number of other types of web resources.
- 2ND - Link to a secondary article, review or discussion on a given topic.
- MEGA - Link to one of the megasites which track web resources.
- Web - Link to a website focused on a specific issue. These are not links to every site on a given topic, but to sites of serious educational value.
Islamic Middle East
The above is a web site done by a teacher of religion and history at Mount Hermon School in Northfield to support a course on the Islamic Middle East. It is focused on the modern period, with special attention given to political developments of the last 50 years. It is a comprehensive and well organized site and is suitable for both introductory and advanced undergraduate courses in modern Middle East history and politics.
Islamic Studies: Islam, Arabic and Religion by Alan Godlas
Maintained through the Dept. of Religion at the University of Georgia, this site contains a mix of resources both scholarly and popular, polemical and balanced. A number of useful links appear in the sections "Islamic history, philosophy, and scientific thought" and "Islamic art, music, architecture, and images" on the main menu.
Medieval Islamic Cultures
The above is another web site done by the same group who designed and prepared the Ibn Batutta site. It is an interactive presentation of Medieval Islamic culture and provides comprehensive and in-depth information on numerous aspects of Medieval Islamic culture. It is suitable for both introductory and advanced undergraduate courses on Islamic history.
Middle East Network Information Center
Created and hosted at The Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas/Austin, this site includes academic resources and resources posted by Islamic organizations. Some links have a strong political bent.
Middle East Studies Association: Links
Resources vary in quality and substance, but sections "Research Institutions and Organizations", "Special Projects", "Technology and Information", and "University Programs" were helpful in leading to further information.
Travels of Ibn Batutta
The above is an interactive presentation of the travels of Ibn Battuta, the great medieval traveler of the Muslim world whose travels throughout Asia and Africa in the 14th century were far more extensive than those of Marco Polo. His memoir of his travels, entitled The Journey of Ibn Battuta, is a rich and illuminating source for or understanding of the Muslim world in the 14th century. The site was developed by a team of high school teachers in San Francisco but is suitable for introductory college courses on Islamic history.