ABSTRACT
This book is primarily concerned with Muslim politics in the contemporary
world. It is, however, impossible for the reader to understand the nature,
form, and symbols of Islamic politics today without some appreciation of
their evolution through history. This chapter will offer a historical overview
of politics in the Muslim world and, in the process, introduce the reader to
key concepts and terms that will be necessary for understanding con-
temporary Muslim politics and political discourse. As is perhaps inevitable
when one aspires to survey nearly 1,500 years of history over multiple continents in a single chapter, the coverage here is far more superficial than a
proper historical inquiry would warrant. The aim is to allow the reader to
discern the broad trajectory of Muslim politics over time, and to understand
key patterns, as well as important moments of disjuncture and upheaval. In
addition to covering major historical events, the narrative offered here will
also incorporate an overview of the development of Islamic political
thought from the time of the Prophet Muhammad up to and including
Muslim responses to the formation of modern nation-states and the advent of globalization in the Muslim world.1
