Shi'i Scholars of Nineteenth-Century Iraq : The 'Ulama' of Najaf and Karbala

In the nineteenth century, the shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala in Ottoman Iraq emerged as the most important Shi'i centres of learning. In a major contribution to the study of pre-modern Middle Eastern religious institutions, Meir Litvak analyses the social and political dynamics of these communities. Tracing the historical evolution of Shi'i leadership, he explores the determinants of social status amongst the ulama, the concept of patronage, the structure of learning, questions of ethnicity, and financial matters. He also assesses the role of the ulama as communal leaders who, in the face of a hostile Sunni government in Baghdad, were often obliged to adopt a more quietest political stance than their counterparts in Iran. This is an important book which sheds light on the formation of contemporary Shi'ism and the surrounding debates.

Acknowledgments x (2)
Note on transliteration xii (1)
List of abbreviations xiii (1)
Map
xiv
Introduction 1 (18)
Part 1 The community: learning and leadership 19 (96)
1 The community of learning: concept and organization
21 (24)
2 Leadership in the age of multiple centers
45 (19)
3 Monopolization of leadership in Najaf
64 (16)
4 Diffusion, centralization, and politicization
80 (16)
5 Determinants of status and leadership
96 (19)
Part 2 The `ulama' between the Ottomans and the Qajars 115 (64)
6 The shrine cities, the Mamluks, and Iran
117 (18)
7 The `ulama' and the reassertion of direct Ottoman control
135 (15)
8 The `ulama' and Ottoman centralization policy
150 (15)
9 The changing political triangle, 1875-1904
165 (14)
Conclusion 179 (10)
Appendix 189 (5)
Notes 194 (41)
Glossary 235 (3)
Bibliography 238 (12)
Index