Islam and Muslims in Victorian Britain - (Islam of the Global West) by Jamie Gilham & Kambiz Ghaneabassiri & Frank Peter (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Jamie Gilham collates the work of leading and emerging scholars of Islam in Britain, Christian-Muslim relations and Victorian Studies to offer fresh perspectives on Islam and Muslims in Victorian Britain.

The contributors reveal 19th-century attitudes and beliefs about Islam and Muslims to demonstrate the plurality of approaches and representations of Islam in Britain's past. Also bringing to life the stories and voices of early Muslim settlers and converts to Islam, this book examines the lived experience of Muslims in the Victorian period. Sources include political and academic writings, literature, travelogues, the press and other forms of popular culture. Intersectional themes include religion and religiosity, 'race' and ethnicity, gender, class, citizenship, empire and imperialism, and prejudice, discrimination and resilience.

Review Quotes

"From the royal family to the Victorian bookshop, from the streets of London to Merseyside and Manchester, Muslims were part of the fabric of 19th century British society. This collection offers a value compendium of the where and when Muslims were to be found in the very recesses of national and imperial life." --Antoinette Burton, Professor of History, University of Illinois, USA

"An inspiring collection of essays that engages with varied archives and little-known histories to reveal a fascinating array of individuals engaging with Islam or experiencing Muslim lives in Victorian Britain. The chapters take us from Queen Victoria's court and Anglo-Ottoman politics to Syrian traders, a dispossessed Nawab of Bengal and Muslim philanthropy on Christmas Day. From this book, we receive an understanding of modern Britain that is at once global, pluralistic, antagonistic, generous and resilient." --Siobhan Lambert-Hurley, Professor of Global History, University of Sheffield, UK

"[A] delightful read containing eleven insightful chapters on an array of distinctive topics. A line up of acclaimed academics who have produced these informative contributions offer further credence to understanding the significance of Islam during the Victorian era in Britain." --Ruqaiyah Hibell, The Islamic Foundation, The Muslim World Book Review

About the Author