Discussion V Ibn Fadlun and the Land of Darkness PDF

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Read Ibn Fadlun and the Land of Darkness. You and your group mates can discuss anything (preferably, several things) that you found interesting from your reading. Do try to consider what you learnt that was unusual or striking or completely unexpected from any preconceived ideas you had about northern Eurasia just before the first millennium CE. Keep Harari's hypotheses of imagined realities in mind. Ibn Fadlun and the Land of Darkness should make you confront your own preconceived notions. Items to consider as you read: Think about syncretism (if you do not understand the word, please understand the definition thoroughly). In what ways do cross-cultural interactions replicate interactions and transmissions of ideas and habits from the past (Mesopotamia, Hellenization, China and Confucianism)? Think about how geography and climate influenced societal habits. What religion do the Khazars practice? In addition to imagined orders, Harari had discussed trust as the foundation of monetary systems; how is that demonstrated from your reading? Compare and contrast the habits of personal hygiene, body image, sexual mores, attitudes toward women and foreigners, and anything else that captures your attention. How is Ibn Fadlan's account important to us? Although reading the introduction and Part I of the book may seem onerous at over 100 pages, it is an extremely fast read. It is important to read the introduction because essentially, the introduction encapsulates the rest of the reading. Reading Guide: 1) Read the Introduction (24 pages): a) Read first five pages of the Introduction [Kindle location 216-250/260] b) Read from the tenth page to the end of the Ibn Fadlun section [Kindle location 297-425/434] 2) Leisurely read through Part I (approximately 87 pages). Again, it is a very fast read, especially after reading the introduction. By 'leisurely', I mean, read it in a relaxed frame of mind, as if Ibn Fadlan himself is conversing with you. Don't try to memorise, but remember your impressions and jot those down as you read. Be able to discern when Ibn Fadlan is relating what he observed directly as opposed to what he has been told and is passing on to you, the reader. My thoughts after reading about Ibn Fadlun and the Land of Darkness was quite interesting and a little more contemporary than most of the books I have recently read. The Ibn Fadlan is one of the earliest Islamic writers to write in the first person for his travels. Many of the Islamic travelers focused more on the different or unusual system of administration among the Khazars. Between the ninth and fourteenth centuries, the Arab travelers, Ibn Fadlan, explored and journeyed abroad and most commonly in the regions in the far north, crossing

borders reaching Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. These intriguing accounts illustrate how various people and tribes have witnessed and encountered traded furs. Meanwhile, during the late ninth century, a group of Vikings from the Scandinavia sailed their boast across the region of Eastern Europe. The basic motives which attracted them were the wealth of the areas and region. The expedition and journey of the Vikings did not stop at the Kiev, they then reached Constantinople and the Black Sea. A group among them then created the acclaimed and famous Varangian Gaurd of the Byzantine Emperors. Ibn Fadlan met with the Vikings in Volga Bulgaria. The travel book of Ibn Fadlan became known first in al-Tusi’s books and later in Yaqut al-Hamawi’s book. The first Turkish translation of the book was written by Lütfi Doğan in 1954. Whereas the newest version of the translation was written by Ramazan Şeşen It is important to identify before anything else that Ibn Fadlan's immediate attention regarding these people with whom he had newly become acquainted mostly focused on distinct differences between their religion and culture and his own. Overall, in the end, Ibn Fadland’s Risala was an important source as one of the earliest written documents regarding the encounter of Muslimes with the Vikings, in Volga Bulgaria.

“Perception of the Vikings from Ibn Fadlan's Glance in Al-Risala.” World Bulletin / News From Turkey and Islamic World, www.worldbulletin.net/history/perception-of-the-vikings-from-ibn-fadlans-glance-in-al-risala-h 115169.html....