The Calligraphic State

Textual Domination and History in a Muslim Society

By: Brinkley Messick

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Paperback | 16 June 1996 | Edition Number 1

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324 Pages

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2.3 x 1.53 x 0.22

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In this innovative combination of anthropology, history, and postmodern theory, Brinkley Messick examines the changing relation of writing and authority in a Muslim society from the late nineteenth century to the present. The creation and interpretation of texts, from sacred scriptures to administrative and legal contracts, are among the fundamental ways that authority is established and maintained in a complex state. Yet few scholars have explored this process and the ways in which it changes, especially outside the Western world.

Messick brings together intensive ethnography and textual analysis from a wealth of material: Islamic jurisprudence, Yemeni histories, local documents. In exploring the structure and transformation of literacy, law, and statecraft in Yemen, he raises important issues that are of comparative significance for understanding political life in other Muslim and nonwestern states as well.

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Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction	p. 1
Authority	p. 13
Genealogies of the Text	p. 15
The Pen and the Sword	p. 37
Disenchantment	p. 54
Transmission	p. 73
Audition	p. 75
The New Method	p. 99
Print Culture	p. 115
Interpretation	p. 133
Relations of Interpretation	p. 135
Sharia Society	p. 152
Judicial Presence	p. 167
Court Order	p. 187
Inscription	p. 201
Evidence of the Word	p. 203
Spiral Texts	p. 231
Conclusion	p. 251
Biographical Guide	p. 257
Glossary	p. 259
Notes	p. 265
Bibliography	p. 317
Index	p. 333
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.

The Calligraphic State

Textual Domination and History in a Muslim Society

At a Glance

Paperback

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

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