1 / 16

The Friends of God and Reading Travelers’ Narratives

The Friends of God and Reading Travelers’ Narratives. HIST 1007 11/4/13. Near Eastern Mysticism and Asceticism. Early Muslims attracted to Christian ascetics Desert Fathers St. Simeon Stylites (d. 459) Merkabah – Jewish mysticism focused on divine visions Kabbalah – 12 th century

chul
Download Presentation

The Friends of God and Reading Travelers’ Narratives

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Friends of God and Reading Travelers’ Narratives HIST 1007 11/4/13

  2. Near Eastern Mysticism and Asceticism • Early Muslims attracted to Christian ascetics • Desert Fathers • St. Simeon Stylites (d. 459) • Merkabah – Jewish mysticism focused on divine visions • Kabbalah – 12th century Jewish mystical movement • Christian Monasticism

  3. Sufism • Sufi masters develop practices and doctrines • Dhikr – remembrance of God • Muraqaba– repetition of God’s names • Visitation and pilgrimage • 10th-13th centuries – following coalesce around Sufi masters • Development of Sufi institutions

  4. Sufism and Poetry • Intense love of God • Reflected in love poetry • Double meaning? • Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 1273) • Persian poet • Mathnawi • Founder of Mawlana Sufi Order

  5. Sufism • ijaza – diploma and license to teach • khirqa – cloak of the master, symbolic robe • ribat – residence for mystics, from frontier forts • 13th century – Sufism, khanaqas, and ribats become important pieces of urban framework, similar to madrasa KhanaqaBayburs, Cairo

  6. Are Sufis Saints? • Mystics and “Friends of God” • Populist Islam • Sufism and miracles? • Baraka – blessings • Shrines and ziyara Khanqah-iShaykh `Abd al-Samad, Iran Il-Khanid construction, 14th century

  7. Sufism and Politics • Sufi shaykh as political agent • Baraka and the sultan • State sponsorship of Sufi Orders • State sponsorship of khanaqas, shrines, etc. • Descendants of shaykhs and political authority Shrine of Shaykh Safi al-Din, Ardabil, Iran 14th century

  8. Reading Travel Narratives • What does a travel narrative actually tell us about? • What kinds of details do you notice when you are traveling that are worth mentioning? • What don’t you see when you are traveling?

  9. Naser-e Khusraw’sSafarnama • Naser-e Khusraw (1003-1077): Persian poet, philosopher, and Isma`ili scholar from Khurasan • Secretary and tax collector under Seljuq Sultan Tughril Beg • Safarnama – “Book of Travels” • 1046: A dream tells Naser to go on pilgrimage • Writes a report on his seven year journey

  10. PaxMongolica and Travel

  11. PaxMongolica and Travel Paisa - passport

  12. Marco Polo (1254-1324) 1260: Marco’s father and uncle find their way to Bukhara and then China 1269: Niccolo and Maffeo Polo Return 1271-1292: Marco, Niccolo, and Maffeo in China

  13. Marco Polo’s Travels

  14. Marco Polo’s Travels 1298: In a Genoese prison. Can we believe Rustichello’s embellishment of Marco’s prison yard bragging?

  15. IbnBattuta (1304-1369) Tangier, Morocco Family of legal scholars (ulama) 1325: Ibn Battuta leaves for Hajj 1354: Finally returns home.

  16. IbnBattuta’s Travels

More Related