Description
In this landmark study, Shahla Haeri offers the extraordinary biographies of several Muslim women rulers and leaders who reached the apex of political systems of their times. Their stories illuminate the complex and challenging imperatives of dynastic succession, electoral competition and the stunning success they achieved in medieval Yemen and India, and modern Pakistan and Indonesia. The written history of Islam and the Muslim world is overwhelmingly masculine, having largely ignored women and their contributions until well into the 20th century. Religious and legal justifications have been systematically invoked to justify Muslim women's banishment from politics and public domains. Yet this patriarchal domination has not gone on without serious challenges by women - sporadic and exceptional though their participation in the battle of succession has been. The Unforgettable Queens of Islam highlights lives and legacies of a number of charismatic women engaged in fierce battles of succession, and their stories offer striking insights into the workings of political power in the Muslim world.
A cross-cultural and ethno-historical perspective exploring the lives and legacies of several Muslim women rulers from medieval to modern times.
About the Author
Shahla Haeri is Associate Professor of Anthropology and a former director of the Women's Studies Program at Boston University. She is the author of the pioneering ethnographic book Law of Desire: Temporary Marriage in Shi'i Iran (1989, 2014) on the unique Shi'a practice of temporary marriage in Iran and No Shame for the Sun: Lives of Professional Pakistani Women (2002). She is the producer and director of a video documentary on Iranian women presidential contenders entitled Mrs. President: Women and Political Leadership in Iran (2002). Haeri is the recipient of many grants and postdoctoral fellowships.
Reviews
'Most women rulers in Islamic states succeeded their fathers or husbands, and Shahla Haeri shows that they cultivated an image as tolerant and caring 'mothers' of their nations. Her fascinating and original study concludes that an emerging generation of female politicians may represent a more democratic and inclusive force in Muslim societies, precisely because their very identity is a challenge to military and theocratic establishments.' Adam Kuper, British Academy
'Haeri harvests decades of work on women political leaders in the Islamic world, from the Queen of Sheba in the 10th century B.C.E. to the contemporary Pakistani Benazir Bhutto and Indonesian Megawati Sukarnoputri. By performing fine-tuned ethnographic and historical research, Haeri brilliantly answers the question of why only in modern times have religious/political establishments begun to apply the suspect hadith against accepting a woman as ruler.' Mary Elaine Hegland, Santa Clara University, California
'The written history of the Muslim world is still typically told in a manner that sidelines the experience of Muslim women. In this beautifully written and important book, Shahla Haeri corrects that imbalance, creating the finest book I have ever read on women leaders across the Muslim-majority world. This is a 'must read' for everyone interested in Islam and gender today and across the span of history.' Robert W. Hefner, Boston University, Massachusetts
'This pioneering book offers a riveting account of women who have achieved political power across a range of Muslim majority cultures and down the centuries. Today the issue of women and power is a highly contested one in Muslim majority countries - as indeed elsewhere. Offering a sustained, reasoned and well-grounded overview and analysis of the topic and its underpinnings, this book constitutes an invaluable resource.' Leila Ahmed, Harvard University, Massachusetts
'The Unforgettable Queens of Islam presents a fascinating set of comparative biographies of Muslim women leaders ... engaging and thought-provoking.' R. A. Miller, Choice
'I thoroughly enjoyed each story, learning how these very different women acquired and maintained their power and authority, and what their gender brought to their challenges and opportunities ... For those interested in the relationship between religion and politics, and the nature of gender and authority in the modern world, this book is a great place to start! ...fascinating and timely ...' Diane C. Perlov, California Science Center
Book Information
ISBN 9781107554894
Author Shahla Haeri
Format Paperback
Page Count 278
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 470g
Dimensions(mm) 228mm * 153mm * 14mm
A cross-cultural and ethno-historical perspective exploring the lives and legacies of several Muslim women rulers from medieval to modern times.
About the Author
Shahla Haeri is Associate Professor of Anthropology and a former director of the Women's Studies Program at Boston University. She is the author of the pioneering ethnographic book Law of Desire: Temporary Marriage in Shi'i Iran (1989, 2014) on the unique Shi'a practice of temporary marriage in Iran and No Shame for the Sun: Lives of Professional Pakistani Women (2002). She is the producer and director of a video documentary on Iranian women presidential contenders entitled Mrs. President: Women and Political Leadership in Iran (2002). Haeri is the recipient of many grants and postdoctoral fellowships.
Reviews
'Most women rulers in Islamic states succeeded their fathers or husbands, and Shahla Haeri shows that they cultivated an image as tolerant and caring 'mothers' of their nations. Her fascinating and original study concludes that an emerging generation of female politicians may represent a more democratic and inclusive force in Muslim societies, precisely because their very identity is a challenge to military and theocratic establishments.' Adam Kuper, British Academy
'Haeri harvests decades of work on women political leaders in the Islamic world, from the Queen of Sheba in the 10th century B.C.E. to the contemporary Pakistani Benazir Bhutto and Indonesian Megawati Sukarnoputri. By performing fine-tuned ethnographic and historical research, Haeri brilliantly answers the question of why only in modern times have religious/political establishments begun to apply the suspect hadith against accepting a woman as ruler.' Mary Elaine Hegland, Santa Clara University, California
'The written history of the Muslim world is still typically told in a manner that sidelines the experience of Muslim women. In this beautifully written and important book, Shahla Haeri corrects that imbalance, creating the finest book I have ever read on women leaders across the Muslim-majority world. This is a 'must read' for everyone interested in Islam and gender today and across the span of history.' Robert W. Hefner, Boston University, Massachusetts
'This pioneering book offers a riveting account of women who have achieved political power across a range of Muslim majority cultures and down the centuries. Today the issue of women and power is a highly contested one in Muslim majority countries - as indeed elsewhere. Offering a sustained, reasoned and well-grounded overview and analysis of the topic and its underpinnings, this book constitutes an invaluable resource.' Leila Ahmed, Harvard University, Massachusetts
'The Unforgettable Queens of Islam presents a fascinating set of comparative biographies of Muslim women leaders ... engaging and thought-provoking.' R. A. Miller, Choice
'I thoroughly enjoyed each story, learning how these very different women acquired and maintained their power and authority, and what their gender brought to their challenges and opportunities ... For those interested in the relationship between religion and politics, and the nature of gender and authority in the modern world, this book is a great place to start! ...fascinating and timely ...' Diane C. Perlov, California Science Center
Book Information
ISBN 9781107554894
Author Shahla Haeri
Format Paperback
Page Count 278
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 470g
Dimensions(mm) 228mm * 153mm * 14mm
