ABSTRACT
The period of Asian history from roughly 1500 to 1800, when Europeans made their appearance but before the heyday of their imperialism, has generated considerable debate, much of it rooted in ideology. Controversy has had the beneficial result of raising issues and drawing out considerable data that might otherwise have remained unexplored. The debate is not usually directed toward Islamic Asia, per se, but it encompasses Muslims in a context very important to them. This chapter and the next examine the period that has elicited such divergent approaches and premises, with the intention of identifying contributions from the scholarly debate that enhance an understanding of the Muslim role in Indian Ocean history. Chapter 5 will also ask if the different positions can be reconciled.
