Dear colleagues,
The Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, University of Tokyo (Tobunken) will host a lecture by Dr. Julien Levesque (University of Zurich) on “Anjuman, Jami‘at, or Association” on November 11 (Fri). Those who are interested in participating in the event are cordially invited to register in advance by November 6 (details below).
Lecture Title: Anjuman, Jami‘at, or Association: What Sayyid Organizations Tell Us about the Associational Life of Muslim Caste Groups
Speaker: Julien Levesque (Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies, University of Zurich; https://www.aoi.uzh.ch/en/indologie/personen/wissangestellte/levesque.html)
Date and time: November 11 (Fri), 2022, at 15:30–17:00
Venue: Online via Zoom, with a limited capacity for in-person participation by invitation.
Lecture Abstract:
In the early decades of the twentieth century in colonial India, the development of education, the expansion of electoral politics, and the decennial censuses led many communities (or “caste groups”) to organize collectively to foster internal solidarity and assert themselves in the public sphere. Muslims also participated in this new associationism and, among them, Sayyids—a privileged status group that claims descent from Prophet Muhammad—also formed their organizations. This presentation delineates three “associational models” that Muslim caste groups can draw upon—the anjuman, the jami‘at, and the association. To bring out the differences in these ideal types, I compare the foundation and evolution of three Sayyid organizations in South Asia (Pakistan, North India, and South India). The comparison has two principal aims: bringing out implicit notions of social and religious distinction among Sayyids; and drawing broader conclusions about associational models for Muslims. Thus, by examining Sayyids organizations, I hope to contribute more broadly to a better understanding of the associational life of caste among South Asian Muslims.
How to Participate:
Please fill in the form at https://forms.gle/eMfWqPRcmw1U4cfH9 by November 6, at 24:00 JST. Explanation about how the seminar will be held and how one can request an invitation for in-person participation is given in the form.
Contact Person: Kazuo Morimoto (morikazu[at]ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp)
This event is co-sponsored by the JSPS Kakenhi Project “Muslim Discourses Surrounding the Prophet Muhammad’s Kinfolk” (19H01317), Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, University of Tokyo, and Kazuhiro Arai Laboratory, Faculty of Business and Commerce, Keio University.