Historical Dictionary of the Berbers (Imazighen) (Volume 5) (Historical Dictionaries of Peoples and Cultures (5)) - Hardcover

Ilahiane, Hsain

9780810854529: Historical Dictionary of the Berbers (Imazighen) (Volume 5) (Historical Dictionaries of Peoples and Cultures (5))

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 081085452X ISBN 13: 9780810854529

Publisher: Scarecrow Press, 2006

Berbers are the ancient inhabitants of North Africa, but rarely have they formed an actual kingdom or separate nation state. Ranging anywhere between 15-50 million, depending on how they are classified, the Berbers have influenced the culture and religion of Roman North Africa and played key roles in the spread of Islam and its culture in North Africa, Spain, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Taken together, these dynamics have over time converted to redefine the field of Berber identity and its socio-political representations and symbols, making it an even more important issue in the new century.

Through the use of maps, a list of acronyms, a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, appendixes, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, events, institutions, and aspects of culture, society, economy and politics―past and present―the Historical Dictionary of the Berbers (Imazighen) provides necessary information on this under-studied group of people.

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About the Author:

Hsain Ilahiane is associate professor of anthropology at Iowa State University.

Review:

The Historical Dictionary of the Berbers is a remarkable work. It is likely to become an indispensable instrument for all those interested in the past and present of a great people, the Imazighen (or the free), otherwise called Berbers by outsiders. Professor Hsain Ilahiane is uniquely qualified to bring forth their achievements. (Dr. Abdellah Hammoudi, Department of Anthropology, Princeton University)

Extensive topical bibliography... This historical dictionary can thus serve as an excellent starting point to learn about this people. Furthermore, its accessible language makes it easily comprehensible to the interested lay public.... the volume will make an excellent addition to academic libraries, both colleges and larger high schools, as well as to general library systems. (American Reference Books Annual, March 2009)

Called Berbers by outsiders, the Imazighen are northern Africa's original inhabitants, and they represent a sizeable share of the area's population today. Arranged alphabetically, this volume contains several hundred entries on this group's most significant people, places, events, and institutions throughout history. It also features maps, plus a chronology, introduction, and extensive bibliography. Ilahiane (himself a Berber from Morocco) teaches anthropology at Iowa State U. (Reference and Research Book News, November 2006)

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