Les Ottomans et le temps

Abstract

extensive comparison of the notions of genealogy and the uses to which it has been put. A central theme is how genealogy has been conceptualised to create and affirm Muslim identity and write a grander history of Islam. However, the debate is not purely historical but is also social and political, with relevance to current events. Genealogy is examined beyond the limitations of familial descent and the constraints of biology, and is also explored as an abstract concept, as is the matter of how established traditions can conflict with those that have been invented more recently. We might consider genealogy, and its use in the writing of history, to be a rigid affair, but this book shows convincingly that that is not the case. The work stresses the malleability of genealogy, kinship and memory, and how they might serve the political, religious and economic interests of different groups. While the scope of the work is extensive, it is unfortunately at times too shallow and the articles are often too cursory to deal adequately with their case studies. A lot more could have been said, more examples given or more data presented. The inclusion of additional articles for each section could have helped achieve greater depth and breadth. This leaves the reader feeling a little underwhelmed and with a desire to see the discussion more fully formed and complete. The work is lacking a concluding chapter where the various themes raised in the different sections could have been brought together. Overall, this is an excellent introductory study of an important principle of Muslim societies; it establishes a wide-ranging profile and takes a multi-faceted approach to the subject, even though it really only describes the tip of an iceberg. The book should constitute a useful starting place for further research into the subject, and may offer valuable comparisons to genealogy, its use and abuse, in other non-Muslim societies.