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<DIV align=justify><FONT face="Palatino Linotype"><STRONG>Call for Papers:
Diplomatic Conventions Islamic World<BR></STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT face="Palatino Linotype"><STRONG>Call for
Papers</STRONG> <BR><BR><STRONG>Annales Islamologiques no 41
(June2007)</STRONG><BR><BR>Aspecial issue of Annales Islamologique swill be
edited in June 2007 dedicated to The Diplomatic Conventions in the Islamic
World. Researchers are kindly invited to submit their proposals for articles
(title and maximum one page summary) by e-mail </FONT><A
href="mailto:tomfavereau@ifao.egnet.net"><FONT
face="Palatino Linotype">tomfavereau@ifao.egnet.net</FONT></A><FONT
face="Palatino Linotype"> until June15th,2006. They will be informed before
June30th, 2006 whether their paper is accepted (or not). The completed articles
should be written in French, Arabic or English and have to betransmitted to the
coordinator October 1st,2006 at the latest. A committee, should the occasion
arise, will ask the authors for modifications. <BR><BR>The Diplomatic
Conventions in the Islamic World:<BR>TosharetheUmma<BR>(1258-1517)<BR><BR>After
the Mongol conquest, countries of ancient Islamic traditionsare suddenly
confronted with new social codes. They have to submit to an unknown power
and its ownnon-islamic symbolical structures. For the first time, a
non-Islamicauthority rules over numerous Muslim populations.Dâral-islâmis about
toturn Dâr al-harb.<BR><BR>However, in a short time, new rulers convert to
Islâm,as well as their courts and their peoples, which arrived with
theTurkic-Mongol armies. At thexvth c.,only 150 years after the gengiskhanid
conquest, the territories ruledby the Mongols returned toDâr al-islâmand,
moreover, new converted peoples start playing an active role in the
revival ofthe Islamic culture and its diffusion. A great majority of
thosepopulations come from east and south-east Asia: Turkic- andMongol-speaking
natives from Baikal Lake, as well as Malaysian, Indonesian and Indian peoples.
At the beginning of thexvith, Islam has reached a new dimension, becoming an
uncontested worldreality. Contacts between new and ancient Muslim populations
areincreasing. Peoples' movements for commercial, religious or political
matters, lead to exchanges of knowledge and practices.Historians agree to
recognize the fundamental role of Sufism andmerchants organizations in
propagation of faith, Arabic language andthe traditions of classical Islam. The
existence of a supra-linguistic and over-state culture, as a complex
interlacingbetween Malaysia, China, Iran, Yemen, Bengal,
Anatolia,North-Africa...is also attested in historiographical
literature.<BR><BR>On the one hand, we can perceive those mutual influences
throughsources, on the other hand, we cannot deny the extreme diversity
ofcultural, administrative and political centers in the islamic worldbetween the
xiiith c. and thexvith c.<BR><BR>So, what could be the reality of these
relationships between thestates, which are united only by the idea of being a
part of the samecommunity of faith? Could we perceive, through the variety
ofpractices and discourses, the transcendence of the Umma?<BR><BR>To develop
this matter, we suggest to start with a common discussionon the communication
between the states of theDâr al-islâm andtheir diplomatic conventions which
allow such exchanges. Our interestis to survey the numerous kinds of sources:
manuscripts (treaties,commercial concessions, diplomatic letters...); coins and
archaeological material (reception places, gifts ofhonor, ceremonial
objects...).<BR><BR>Even if we find specific studies on administrative or
diplomaticdocuments, historic researches suffer from a lack of coordination.For
that reason, the project intends to put together commonresearches and results.
Our purpose is to collect works on Persian,Malaysian, Arabic, Turkic and Turkish
manuscripts in order to make asynthesis. We must particularly gather all
documents written on rotulus/volumen (todistinguish fromcodex), which were
the typical form of the diplomatic letter. Our only way to overcomethe gaps, as
a result of vanished archives, is to collect andconfront those types of
documents. This will lead us to draw somevaluable historic conclusions and to
establish a helpful synthesis based on the archives
contents.<BR><BR>Furthermore, we choose to focus our research on a period, which
is,too often, neglected, being considered as a transition between twoages: the
end of the "classical Islamic times"with the rise of the Seldjukid and
crusader"threats" (fromxith c. until the Mongol conquestof Baghdad) and the time
of the Ottoman hegemony (from the conquestof the Mamluk Sultanate in
1516-1517).<BR><BR>The centuries in between, which means the period from the
Mongolinvasion to the end of the Mamluk power, can square in a very interesting
way with thethematic we intend to develop. At that time, Muslim populations
are,in majority, not Arabic. Languages and cultures in the Ummahave never been
so diverse.Dâr al-islâmhas grown considerably and the ways of communication are
extendingfrom China to Spain. Furthermore, the overlapping of Dâral-harb/Dâr
al-islâm,which is then in a decisive process, will have deep consequences
uponMuslim society and will influence the discourse of the
intellectualelites.<BR><BR>A reflection on "diplomatic conventions"can be a way
to understand situations of tension, conciliation orpolitical negotiations. It
permits us to discuss specific topicsabout chancery's practices and techniques
like the decisive question of theadministrative languages. We will have to
identify why and when theArabic language is used, what have been the standard
diplomaticexpressions and the most recurrent coranic formulas. We will deal with
written languages (scriptures, styles, alphabets) as well asspoken languages,
with original texts and translations. Didambassadors have to carry on two
messages: a written one and a spokenone? In that case, did they need
translators? How can we perceive the oral character of some diplomatic
matters? Do we havesources on that topic?<BR><BR>All these subjects lead to one
very important question: theidea of "authenticity" which is a fundamentalpoint
in diplomacy, especially during wars.<BR><BR>Whatwere themain factors they took
into account to authenticate a letter or anembassy? To answer this question, we
have to study papers, inks,seals...their supply, their making and,afortiori, the
revolutionary use of watermarks. This explains the necessity toconfront our
sources and work together to establish a common corpus.<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT face="Palatino Linotype">This subject concerns also
some larger fields, like the question of socialconsensusat a state level. Can we
perceive an "Islamicreality" through the multiplicity of practices and
discourses of thediplomatic exchanges? What can be the foundations of a war
decisionbetween two Muslim States? Can we find "diplomaticpatterns" through
diplomatic practices? How to recognize at that time the existence of a real
political thought in foreignaffairs? What was the role of Arabic language in
publicmanifestations? We must discuss the questionable existence of astandard
diplomatic language (sort of linguafranca) between Muslim States. Do we have to
consider this, or mostprobably, these "inter-languages" like "mixed idioms" or
like"autonomous linguistic units"? These languages,which are not mother tongues
and seem to belong to every one, aremostly used by travelers and expatriated
communities. Can they become a source of identity betweenMuslims of different
States, countries and cultures?<BR><BR>To the idea of a decadent and
sufferingUmma, held by some scholars focused on the so-called "golden age of
Islam", we prefer the hypothesis of a"sharingUmma". Difference of cultures, like
a mirror of identity, inducescrystallizing and liberating process in societies.
By studying the"diplomatic conventions" we will learn more aboutthe link, which
joins and reconciles two positions withinDâral-Islâm: to confront tensions and
open conflicts, but also to find a commonIslamic discourse, which can afford an
Umma stretched from Grenada toMalacca. <BR><BR></FONT><FONT
face="Palatino Linotype"></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>