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Full-Text Articles in African History
Rulers, Scholars, And Invaders: A Select Bibliography Of The Songhay Empire, Brent D. Singleton
Rulers, Scholars, And Invaders: A Select Bibliography Of The Songhay Empire, Brent D. Singleton
Library Faculty Publications & Presentations
No abstract provided.
African Bibliophiles: Books And Libraries In Medieval Timbuktu, Brent D. Singleton
African Bibliophiles: Books And Libraries In Medieval Timbuktu, Brent D. Singleton
Library Faculty Publications & Presentations
The West African city of Timbuktu flourished as a center for Islamic scholarship from the 14th through the 16th century. The social structure of the city was based on wealth, with further stratification by degree of literacy, and expertise in interpreting Islamic legal texts. As a consequence, books and libraries evolved into blessed symbols of scholarship, wealth, and power. This study explores the history of books and libraries during the Golden Age of Timbuktu (1493--1591), followed by a discussion of the divergence of library practices in Timbuktu from those in the greater Islamic world of the time.