Description:
The Western field of oriental studies and orientalism - criticised by Edward Said among others for encouraging the orient to be viewed in a particular way - has a counterpart in Russia and the Soviet Union. This book examines this Russian/Soviet intellectual tradition of oriental scholarship covering Islamic history and Muslim literatures of the USSR republics of Central Asia and the Caucasus.
Review Quotes:
"These essays are particularly valuable for graduate students and scholars seeking to conduct research on Muslims in the former Soviet Union because of the insight they provide on the changing ideological interpretations of Muslims as well as the institutions and people involved in those changes."- M. Chakars, Saint Joseph's University