Review by Choice Review
Hidden behind the veil and confined to the household, Muslim women are generally perceived to have had no role in the shaping of Muslim culture and history. This collection of original essays written by a group of international scholars reveals a different view of women in the medieval Islamic world. Basing their research on data drawn from historical chronicles, literary and religious texts, court records, artistic representations, and European travelers' reports, contributors present a rich portrait gallery of a select group of Muslim women who directly or indirectly played a significant role in the political and cultural life of their society. Among them are two rare cases of female rulers, or queens, who managed to wield direct political power in Yemen and India. As might be expected, most of the articles tend to concentrate on the lives of aristocratic and noble women attached to the Ottoman, Safavid, and Timurid courts, especially those who played an important role in dynastic politics. The concerns of ordinary women are revealed in several articles dealing with court records of divorces and property disputes. In all, the volume provides a tantalizing glimpse into the forgotten world of women in Islamic history. Upper-division undergraduates and above. A. Rassam; CUNY Queens College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Americans and Europeans have long harbored a stereotype of the Islamic woman as a passive creature, without rights, veiled and locked away in a harem. While some contemporary Islamic regimes have helped foster this image, the true portrait of Islamic women is far richer and more diverse. This volume, to which 20 scholars have contributed, is part of "The New Middle Ages," a series of transdisciplinary studies of medieval cultures with an emphasis on recovering women's roles in these societies. It shows that the range of activities that medieval Islamic women engaged in was not inferior to that pursued by women in Europe. We are presented with stories of fictitious and historical women as tribal warriors, rulers of states, builders of religious and cultural edifices, and armed retainers guarding the families and property of male Muslim rulers. Most overviews of Islam have offered little coverage of the lives of Muslim women, but this work goes a long way toward rectifying that oversight. Both students of Islam and of women's studies should find this anthology useful and interesting. Recommended for academic and large public libraries with significant holdings in Islamic and women's studies.‘Robert Andrews, Duluth P.L., MN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Library Journal Review
