Time in Early Modern Islam

Reviews / Votes

'This work is ... both of general human interest, as well as specific interest with respect to the dialogue between 'Islam and the West' today.' Amina Inloes, Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies '... a well-written and well-organized summation of the complexities of time management in Muslim societies, not only in the early modern period, but throughout Islamic history. The book will prove useful as an introduction to these issues for both advanced undergraduate and graduate students.' John J. Curry, Middle East Media and Book Reviews (membr.uwm.edu) '... Blake's book is a fascinating exploration of how early modern empire building was far more complex than the application of an imperial ideology that hinged on a pure religious identity. Rather, as evidenced through three distinct applications of time and ceremony in building Islamic empires, empire building was a recursive reconciliation of the ideology of the metropole with local conditions and expectations that allowed for the intersection of unique cultures in areas of commerce and the exchange of ideas. While the ruling elite of each of the three empires in Blake's study saw itself as the power base of an Islamic empire, all three empires were nevertheless the successors of the preceding cultures that they conquered and were subsequently compelled to use localized cosmopolitan constructions and understandings of time to ossify the reality of their power and to secure the viability of their empires.' H-War