Encyclopaedia of Islam

The ''Encyclopaedia of Islam'' (''EI'') is an encyclopaedia of the academic discipline of Islamic studies published by Brill. It is considered to be the standard reference work in the field of Islamic studies. The first edition was published in 1913–1938, the second in 1954–2005, and the third was begun in 2007.

Content

According to Brill, the ''EI'' includes "articles on distinguished Muslims of every age and land, on tribes and dynasties, on the crafts and sciences, on political and religious institutions, on the geography, ethnography, flora and fauna of the various countries and on the history, topography and monuments of the major towns and cities. In its geographical and historical scope it encompasses the old Arabo-Islamic empire, the Islamic countries of Iran, Central Asia, the Indian sub-continent and Indonesia, the Ottoman Empire and all other Islamic countries".

Standing

''EI'' is considered to be the standard reference work in the field of Islamic studies. Each article was written by a recognized specialist on the relevant topic. However, unsurprisingly for a work spanning 40 years until completion, not every one of them reflects recent research.

This reference work is of fundamental importance on topics dealing with the geography, ethnography and biography of Muslim peoples.Elton L. Daniel, "Encyclopedia of Islam" in Encyclopædia Iranica

Editions

The first edition (''EI1'') was modeled on the Pauly-Wissowa '' Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft''. ''EI1'' was created under the aegis of the International Union of Academies, and coordinated by Leiden University. It was published by Brill in four volumes plus supplement from 1913 to 1938 in English, German, and French editions.

An abridged version was published in 1953 as the ''Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam'' (''SEI''), covering mainly law and religion. Excerpts of the ''SEI'' have been translated and published in Turkish, Arabic, and Urdu.

The second edition of ''Encyclopaedia of Islam'' (''EI2'') was begun in 1954 and completed in 2005 (several indexes to be published until 2007); it is published by the Dutch academic publisher Brill and is available in English and French. Since 1999, (''EI2'') has been available in electronic form, in both CD-ROM and web-accessible versions. Besides a great expansion in content, the second edition of ''EI'' differs from the first mainly in incorporating the work of scholars of Muslim and Middle Eastern background among its many hundreds of contributors:

Publication of the Third Edition of ''EI'' (''EI3'') started in 2007. It is available online, printed "Parts" appearing four times per year. The editorial team consists of twenty 'Sectional Editors' and five 'Executive Editors' (i.e. editors-in-chief). The Executive Editors are Kate Fleet, Gudrun Krämer ( Free University, Berlin), Everett Rowson (New York University), John Nawas ( Catholic University of Leuven), and Denis Matringe (EHESS, CNRS). The scope of ''EI3'' includes comprehensive coverage of Islam in the twentieth century; expansion of geographical focus to include all areas where Islam has been or is a prominent or dominant aspect of society; attention to Muslim minorities all over the world; and full attention to social science as well as humanistic perspectives.

1st edition, ''EI1''

* 1913–38. 4 vols. and Suppl.
**Vol.1. A–D, M. Th. Houtsma, T. W. Arnold, R. Basset eds., 1913.
***Reprin
A-BaBa-Bu
**Vol.2. E–K, M. Th. Houtsma, A. J. Wensinck, T. W. Arnold eds., 1927.
***Reprin
Itk-Kan
**Vol.3. L–R, M. Th. Houtsma, A. J. Wensinck, E. Levi-Provençal eds., 1934.
***Reprin
L-MMorocco-Ruyan
**Vol.4. S–Z, M. Th. Houtsma, A. J. Wensinck, H. A. R. Gibb, eds., 1936.
*** Reprin
ST-ZSupplement
***Suppl. No.1. Ab-Djughrafiya, 1934.
***Suppl. No.2. Djughrafiya-Kassala, 1936.
***Suppl. No.3. Kassala-Musha'sha', 1937.
***Suppl. No.4. Musha'sha'-Taghlib, 1937.
***Suppl. No.5. Taghlib-Ziryab, 1938.
*M. Th. Houtsma, R. Basset et T. W. Arnold, eds., ''Encyclopédie de l'Islam: Dictionnaire géographique, ethnographique et biographique des peuples musulmans. Publié avec le concours des principaux orientalistes,'' 4 vols. avec Suppl., Leyde: Brill et Paris: Picard, 1913–1938. (French)
*M. Th. Houtsma, R. Basset und T. W. Arnold, herausgegeben von, ''Enzyklopaedie des Islām : Geographisches, ethnographisches und biographisches Wörterbuch der muhammedanischen Völker,'' 5 vols., Leiden: Brill und Leipzig : O. Harrassowitz, 1913–1938. (German) �
vol. 1vol. 3vol. 4
*M. Th. Houtsma et al., eds., ''E.J. Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913–1936,'' Leiden: E. J. Brill, 8 vols. with Supplement (vol. 9), 1993.

''SEI''

*H. A. R. Gibb and J. H. Kramers eds. on behalf of the Royal Netherlands Academy, ''Shorter Encyclopäedia of Islam'', Leiden: Brill, 1953.
*M. Th. Houtsma et al. eds., , 13 in 15 vols., İstanbul: Maarif Matbaası, 1940–1988. (Turkish)
* (Arabic)
* (Urdu)

2nd edition, ''EI2''

*Edited by P. J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C. E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W. P. Heinrichs et al., ''Encyclopædia of Islam,'' 2nd Edition., 12 vols. with indexes, etc., Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1960–2005
**Vol. 1, A – l–B, Edited by an Editorial Committee Consisting of H. A. R. Gibb, J. H. Kramers, E. Lévi-Provençal, J. Schacht, Assisted by S. M. Stern (pp. 1–320); – B. Lewis, Ch. Pellat and J. Schacht, Assisted by C. Dumont and R. M. Savory (pp. 321–1359). 1960.
**Vol. 2, C–G, Edited by B. Lewis, Ch. Pellat and J. Schacht. Assisted by J. Burton-Page, C. Dumont and V.L. Ménage., 1965.
**Vol. 3, H–Iram Edited by B. Lewis, V.L. Ménage, Ch. Pellat and J. Schacht, Assisted by C. Dumont, E. van Donzel and G.R. Hawting eds., 1971.
**Vol. 4, Iran–Kha, Edited by E. van Donzel, B. Lewis and Ch. Pellat, Assisted by C. Dumont, G.R. Hawting and M. Paterson (pp. 1–256); – C. E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, B. Lewis and Ch. Pellat, Assisted by C. Dumont and M. Paterson (pp. 257–768); – Assisted by F. Th. Dijkema, M., 1978.
**Vol. 5, Khe–Mahi, Edited by C. E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, B. Lewis and Ch. Pellat, Assisted by F.Th. Dijkema and S. Nurit., 1986.
*
via Google Books
**Vol. 6, Mahk–Mid, Edited by C. E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and Ch. Pellat, Assisted by F.Th. Dijkema and S. Nurit. With B. Lewis (pp. 1–512) and W.P. Heinrichs (pp. 513–1044)., 1991.
**Vol. 7, Mif–Naz, Edited by C. E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs and Ch. Pellat, Assisted by F.Th. Dijkema (pp. 1–384), P. J. Bearman (pp. 385–1058) and Mme S. Nurit, 1993.
**Vol. 8, Ned–Sam, Edited by C. E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W. P. Heinrichs and G. Lecomte, Assisted by P.J. Bearman and Mme S. Nurit., 1995.
**Vol. 9, San–Sze, Edited by C. E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W. P. Heinrichs and the late G. Lecomte, 1997.
**Vol. 10, Tā'–U .'', Edited by P. J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C. E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W. P. Heinrichs, 2000.
**Vol. 11, V–Z, Edited by P. J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C. E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W. P. Heinrichs, 2002.
**Vol. 12, Supplement, Edited by P. J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W. P. Heinrichs, 2004.
**Glossary and index of terms to v. 1–9, 1999.
**Index of proper names v. 1–10, 2002.
**Index of subjects, fasc. 1, compiled by P. J. Bearman, 2005.
**Glossary and index of terms to v. 1–12, 2006.
**An Historical Atlas of Islam, ed., William C. Brice, 1981.
*E. van Donzel, ''Islamic desk reference: compiled from The Encyclopaedia of Islam,'' Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1994. (an abridged selection)

3rd edition, ''EI3''

*Edited by Kate Fleet, Gudrun Krämer, Denis Matringe, John Nawas, and Everett K. Rowson, ''Encyclopædia of Islam,'' 3rd Edition., available online, printed "Parts" appearing four times per year, Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2007–.

Urdu translation

The ''Urdu Encyclopaedia of Islam'' is the project of translating the Encyclopedia of Islam into Urdu.
It was started in the 1950s at University of the Punjab, as a project led by Muhammad Shafi. The editorial board worked on translating the Leiden ''Encyclopaedia'' into Urdu, amending, correcting, and adding to the Leiden text themselves.
The original plan for publication, as laid out by Shafi and others, was for the ''Encyclopaedia'' (which was to be entitled ''Urdu Da’ira Ma’arif-i-Islamiya'') to span between 20 and 22 volumes, with roughly a hundred illustrations per volume, published at a rate of four volumes per year.
At the time of Shafi's death in 1963, one volume of the encyclopaedia had been published (in February 1954), and a second volume was in press.
Because of Shafi's death, and lack of funding, work on the ''Encyclopaedia'' stalled until 1971, when a grant from the Asia Foundation enabled it to resume. Volumes 10 and 12 were completed by 1973.
By 1985, 21 out of a planned 25 volumes had been published.

Criticism

Historian Richard Eaton criticised the ''Encyclopaedia of Islam'' in the book ''India's Islamic Traditions, 711-1750'', published in 2003. He writes that in attempting to describe and define Islam, the project subscribes to the Orientalist, monolithic notion that Islam is a "bounded, self-contained entity".

See also

* ''Catholic Encyclopedia''
* '' Encyclopædia Iranica''
* '' Encyclopaedia Islamica''
* '' Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān''
* '' İslâm Ansiklopedisi''
* '' Jewish Encyclopedia''
* Pauly-Wissowa's ''Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft''

References

External links

*
Encyclopaedia of Islam
' – online access, Brill Publishers.

''Encyclopaedia of Islam''
– by Elton L. Daniel article in '' Encyclopædia Iranica''.
*

{{Authority control

Encyclopedias of Islam
1913 non-fiction books
1910s in Islam