Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Politics

The Encyclopedia provides in-depth coverage of the political dimensions of Islam and the Muslim world. Developments in Muslim societies in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have highlighted the need for a major reference work focusing primarily on these dimensions. The realization of internal decay and relentless quest for reform; the collapse of the Islamic caliphate; the fall of most parts of the Muslim world under western colonialism; the emergence of nation-states; the dominance of secular ideologies; the rise of Islamic revivalist movements and faith-based political, economic, and social alternatives; and the confrontation between Islamic movements and secular inspired regimes have constituted major turning points in the contemporary history of Muslim societies. At no time has the understanding of the nature and implications of these developments been needed more.

Based on the highly acclaimed 2009 publication, The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World, this work brings together new and updated entries, organized thematically around the major themes of political science: concepts, values, thought, ideologies, structures, institutions, and systems. It covers in-depth topics that are unique to the Muslim world, including basic beliefs; Muslim political history; Islam in specific geographic regions; thinkers and reformers; movements, society and economy; and international relations, to create a single, specialized reference source on this important topic.