Russia and the Islamic World

This article offers a historical retrospective of the interactions between Russia and the Islamic world in all their diversity, beginning from the first trade contacts of Medieval Rus with the Arabs and Persians of the Abbasid era, as well as with the Turkic-speaking residents of Volga Bulgaria. The author concludes that except for the initial sporadic period, the connections between Russian and Muslim worlds have been stable and close throughout all the following periods. Moreover, with time, these two civilizational communities turned into communicating vessels because of the growing number of Muslims within the Russian State and in Russian society. Special attention is paid to Russian-Turkish relations across several centuries. A complete comprehension of the relations between Russia and the Islamic world through an example of the historical retrospective of Russian interactions with the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey helps to provide a full appreciation of the importance of joint efforts to secure a bridge connecting East and West and the oriental civilizations with Russia.     

伊斯兰世界犹太人与阿拉伯人的交往

历史上的犹太人与阿拉伯人在种族上是近亲,在地理上是近邻,有着血脉相通的联系。远古时代,他们来往密切,并有着相互联姻的历史记载。第一圣殿被毁以后,流落在阿拉伯半岛的犹太人带来了犹太文化,并对伊斯兰思想的形成产生了很大的影响。公元7世纪之后,随着伊斯兰教对半岛上的反伊斯兰势力采取强硬政策,阿拉伯人与犹太人之间的关系逐渐疏远,并出现了宗教冲突。但当伊斯兰政权稳固之后,双方又出现了和睦相处的局面。特别是阿拔斯王朝时期,许多犹太人取得了很高的政治、军事地位,为王朝的发展做出了贡献。正是在阿拉伯人的宽容与监护下,西班牙等地的犹太社团才发挥了自身的创造力,形成了灿烂的文化。     

Advances in Polychrome Ceramics in the Islamic World of the 12th Century AD

As part of a multidisciplinary programme of research on Islamic glazed pottery, the development of polychrome decoration during the 12th century AD has been investigated by examining polished sections through glazed pottery in an analytical scanning electron microscope. The two main decorative techniques used were underglaze and overglaze painting. The results suggest that true underglaze decoration, involving the application of pigment without any associated slip, was first developed in Syria, from where it spread to Iran, on to China and ultimately across wide areas of the world. In contrast, the overglaze technique used on mina'i ware was both very short‐lived and confined to Iran. The analytical results suggest that the probable explanation for this was the technical problems associated with maturing the overglaze paint and the consequent risk of unsatisfactory products.     

Juvenile Travellers: Priscilla Wakefield's Excursions in Empire

While most discussions of juvenile imperial literature relate to the mid-nineteenth century onwards, this article draws attention to an earlier period by examining the children's books of Priscilla Wakefield. Between 1794 and 1817 Priscilla Wakefield wrote sixteen children's books that included moral tales, natural history books and a popular travel series. Her experience of the British Empire's territories was, in the main, derived from the work of others but her use of interesting characters, exciting travel scenarios, the epistolary form to enhance the narrative and fold-out maps added interest to the information she presented. Her strong personal beliefs are evident throughout her writing and an abhorrence of slavery is a recurring theme. She was also the grandmother and main caregiver of the young Edward Gibbon Wakefield and his immediate siblings. In contrast to his grandmother, Edward Gibbon Wakefield's experience of the empire was both theoretical and practical. He drew on, and departed from, the work of political economists to develop his theory of systematic colonisation and was active in both Canadian and New Zealand affairs. He began writing about colonisation in the late 1820s and his grandmother's influence can be seen in his wide use of existing sources and attractive writing style to communicate with his audience.