War and Insurgency in the Western Sahara

War and Insurgency in the Western Sahara PDF Author: Geoffrey Jensen
Publisher: Military Bookshop
ISBN: 9781782663928
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 104

Get Book Here

Book Description
At a crucial crossroads between Africa and Europe, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, and the "Arab World" and the West, Morocco has long had a special place in U.S. diplomacy and strategic planning. Since September 11, 2001, Morocco's importance to the United States has only increased, and the more recent uncertainties of the Arab Spring and Islamist extremism have further increased the value of the Moroccan-American alliance. Yet one of the pillars of the legitimacy of the Moroccan monarchy, its claim to the Western Sahara, remains a point of violent contention. Home to the largest functional military barrier in the world, the Western Sahara has a long history of colonial conquest and resistance, guerrilla warfare and counterinsurgency, and evolving strategic thought, and its future may prove critical to U.S. interests in the region.

The Arab Conquest of the Western Sahara

The Arab Conquest of the Western Sahara PDF Author: H. T. Norris
Publisher: Longman Publishing Group
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 354

Get Book Here

Book Description
For centuries after the first Arabs passed through North Africa, the presence of Arabic culture in the western Sahara was limited to scholars and mystics. Those few who spoke Arabic and practised Islam left the traditional society largely undisturbed. Then in the Middle Ages came a small band of southern Yemeni tribesmen, who came to dominate the desert trade routes linking Africa with the Mediterranean. Their descendents, the Awlad Hassan, imposed themselves on the native Berbers and introduced a new society, religion and language. Drawing on numerous sources including travellers and historians such as Ibn Battutah and Leo Africanus, plus local historians steeped in the traditions of oral history, the author examines how the tribes of the western Sahara responded to the arrival of the Arabs, particularly during the 13th and 17th centuries. Written by renowned experts, the five books that comprise "The series of Arabic Islamic studies" feature topics on Arabic and Islamic studies. From a description of the Arabian incese trade, to a sociological study of Islam and its beliefs, this series aims to offer authoratative insights into the history, and contemporary situation, of Arabia. -- Publisher description.

A Book of Conquest

A Book of Conquest PDF Author: Manan Ahmed Asif
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674660110
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 265

Get Book Here

Book Description
Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- Note on Transliteration and Translation -- Introduction -- Chapter 1. Frontier with the House of Gold -- Chapter 2. A Foundation for History -- Chapter 3. Dear Son, What Is the Matter with You? -- Chapter 4. A Demon with Ruby Eyes -- Chapter 5. The Half Smile -- Chapter 6. A Conquest of Pasts -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Works Cited -- Acknowledgments -- Index

A History of the Western Sahara Conflict

A History of the Western Sahara Conflict PDF Author: Michael Baers
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1527585735
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 481

Get Book Here

Book Description
The conflict in Western Sahara has endured for nearly half a century, yet remains little known on the world stage. Drawing on multiple sources, this book presents an expansive history of both the conflict and the region, encompassing the history of the early Moroccan empires, the successive migrations of Arab nomads across the Sahara, the age of European exploration and colonialism, and the postcolonial period, when the conflict erupted out of a complex set of forces that include longstanding regional tensions, North Africa’s colonial legacy, the instability of post-independence Morocco, and diplomatic intrigues on the part of Western powers during the Cold War period. While it does not address the history of the conflict following the UN-mandated ceasefire of 1991, the book provides an overview for readers interested in both the conflict itself and the history of African nationalism in the post-war period.

The Sahara

The Sahara PDF Author: Jeremy Keenan
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317970012
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 394

Get Book Here

Book Description
This collection examines the Sahara holistically from the earliest (prehistoric) times through the ‘historical’ period to the present and with political direction into the future. The contributions cover palaeoclimatology, history, archaeology (cultural heritage), social anthropology, sociology, politics and international affairs. Structured chronologically, the volume can almost be read as a narrative of the Sahara from the earliest times to the present, i.e. from the past climates of the Sahara in prehistoric times to the current ‘war on terror’ and its implications for the peoples of the Sahara. Importantly, the collection shows how the region must be approached ‘holistically’, highlighting the importance of each of these subject areas (palaeo-climates, history, politics, etc.) in relation to each other. Indeed, the first contribution is a remarkable (and unique) paper, bringing together the work of some 8-9 internationally recognised scientists to tell the story and show the relevance to the present day of the Sahara’s past climates etc. Nearly all the contributions stand in their own right at the cutting edge of research in their respective fields (e.g. archaeology, history, politics, etc.). This book was previously published as a special issue of the Journal of North African Studies.

Black Morocco

Black Morocco PDF Author: Chouki El Hamel
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139620045
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 534

Get Book Here

Book Description
Black Morocco: A History of Slavery, Race, and Islam chronicles the experiences, identity and achievements of enslaved black people in Morocco from the sixteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century. Chouki El Hamel argues that we cannot rely solely on Islamic ideology as the key to explain social relations and particularly the history of black slavery in the Muslim world, for this viewpoint yields an inaccurate historical record of the people, institutions and social practices of slavery in Northwest Africa. El Hamel focuses on black Moroccans' collective experience beginning with their enslavement to serve as the loyal army of the Sultan Isma'il. By the time the Sultan died in 1727, they had become a political force, making and unmaking rulers well into the nineteenth century. The emphasis on the political history of the black army is augmented by a close examination of the continuity of black Moroccan identity through the musical and cultural practices of the Gnawa.

A History of Race in Muslim West Africa, 1600-1960

A History of Race in Muslim West Africa, 1600-1960 PDF Author: Bruce S. Hall
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9781107002876
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 360

Get Book Here

Book Description
The mobilization of local ideas about racial difference has been important in generating, and intensifying, civil wars that have occurred since the end of colonial rule in all of the countries that straddle the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. From Sudan to Mauritania, the racial categories deployed in contemporary conflicts often hearken back to an older history in which blackness could be equated with slavery and non-blackness with predatory and uncivilized banditry. This book traces the development of arguments about race over a period of more than 350 years in one important place along the southern edge of the Sahara Desert: the Niger Bend in northern Mali. Using Arabic documents held in Timbuktu, as well as local colonial sources in French and oral interviews, Bruce S. Hall reconstructs an African intellectual history of race that long predated colonial conquest, and which has continued to orient inter-African relations ever since.

The Transmission of Learning in Islamic Africa

The Transmission of Learning in Islamic Africa PDF Author: Scott Steven Reese
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004137793
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 324

Get Book Here

Book Description
This collected volume challenges much of the conventional wisdom regarding the intellectual history of Islamic Africa. In a series of essaays ranging from early modern Africa to the present contributors explore the dynamism of the Muslim learned classes in regard to both purely intellectual pursuits and social concern.

The CIA World Factbook 2012

The CIA World Factbook 2012 PDF Author: Central Intelligence Agency
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1628731818
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 2796

Get Book Here

Book Description
From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, The CIA World Factbook 2012 offers complete and up-to-date information on the world’s nations. This comprehensive guide is packed with detailed information on the politics, populations, military expenditures, and economics of 2012. For each country, The CIA World Factbook 2012 includes: Detailed maps with new geopolitical data Statistics on the population of each country, with details on literacy rates, HIV prevalence, and age structure New data on military expenditures and capabilities Information on each country’s climate and natural hazards Details on prominent political parties, and contact information for diplomatic consultation Facts on transportation and communication infrastructure And much more! Also included are appendixes with useful abbreviations, international environmental agreements, international organizations and groups, weight and measure conversions, and more. Originally intended for use by government officials, this is a must-have resource for students, travelers, journalists, and business people with a desire to know more about their world.

Leaving Iberia

Leaving Iberia PDF Author: Jocelyn Hendrickson
Publisher: Harvard Series in Islamic Law
ISBN: 9780674248205
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Get Book Here

Book Description
Leaving Iberia examines Islamic legal responses to Muslims living under Christian rule in medieval and early modern Iberia and North Africa, links the juristic discourses on conquered Muslims on both sides of the Mediterranean, and adds a significant chapter to the story of Christian-Muslim relations in the medieval Mediterranean.