Summary: | The Arab Renaissance (nahdah) in the 19th and early 20th centuries represents one of the most important periods in the development of Arabic thought and culture. The full story of the nahdah, however, remains to be written. Not only do we lack a comprehensive account in the English language of the nahdah, but the research to date has focused too exclusively on the contribution of external forces at the expense of important internal factors, which has painted a far-from-complete picture of the rise and development of the movement as a whole. Starting in the pre-modern period (c. 1700), this book explores the key factors, both internal and external, that contributed to the rise and development of the nahdah and focuses on the home-grown humanist movement of the period which was the driving force behind much of the linguistic, literary and educational activity. Overall, this book highlights the complexity of the nahdah and offers a more pluralist history of the period.
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