1,720,957 research outputs found
Raiders and Traders: Vikings and Exchange in Ninth Century England
No full textThe viking invasion of England in 865, and the subsequent Anglo-Scandinavian period, is often depicted as a time of violent upheaval, and indeed it was, but it was also a period of economic growth and increased cultural interconnectivity. The micel here, or great viking army, conquered and settled across northern and eastern England for more than a decade, but also built enduring economic and cultural connections tied to a network of exchange facilitated by Scandinavians at the time. Material culture uncovered in areas of viking occupation suggests that objects and techniques were transferred to and within England via a network of exchange that fostered increased economic growth and interconnectivity. As raiders and traders travelled and built connections, they facilitated a flow of material culture and techniques through this interregional exchange network which directly benefitted various economies across England. Metalwork, numismatics, foreign goods, and pottery therefore indicate not only Scandinavian settlement, but also economic growth through increased production, technique transfer, and long-distance trade. This thesis argues that the here facilitated a period of increased cultural interconnectivity and economic growth through the creation and maintenance of network connections from England back to Scandinavia and extending outwards across continents. As the here conquered across England, individuals and groups broke off to settle, acting as the first of many waves of migrants that would build ties to Scandinavia and therefore other places and peoples across the Scandinavian network of exchange, and in turn generate economic growth through those connections in their local economies. This reshapes thinking regarding the here's impact on England, showing how they integrated into and expanded local economies through their trade and cultural connections
CONTESTING THE QURʾĀN’S LINGUISTIC INIMITABILITY: THE THEORY OF ṢARFA IN MEDIEVAL ISLAMIC THEOLOGY
No full textAlthough the Qurʾān’s linguistic inimitability is currently considered a sacrosanct miraculous feature of the Qurʾān, and indicative of the veracity of the prophet Muhammad, it remained a site of sectarian contestation in medieval Islamic theology for a long period. In this work, I embark on an investigation of the theory of ṣarfa and the development of the theological arguments concerning it, which aimed at locating the Qurʾānic inimitability outside of the Qurʾān instead of the Qurʾānic language. To that end, my study demonstrates that the trend of locating the inimitability outside of the Qurʾān emerged in Islamic theology alongside the Qurʾān’s linguistic inimitability argument in the middle of the second century of Islam as a part of debate between rationalists and traditionalists over the issue of discerning true prophet and revelation from a false one. Starting from examining the context of the rise of Qurʾānic inimitability argument, it suggests that although arguments supporting ṣarfa mainly flourished within Jahmite and Muʿtazilite schools through underscoring the inappropriacy of the Qurʾān as a proof of prophecy, another important argument of ṣarfa, that is the inability (ʿajz) of human to compose something like the Qurʾān shows its inimitability, cut across the boundary of different sects and outlived former line of argument in later works that otherwise impugned ṣarfa as a valid aspect of Qurʾānic inimitability. To delve into the analysis of the arguments of ṣarfa, I devoted special attention to the famous Shiʿite Sharīf al-Murtaḍā’s treatise concerning this topic named Mūḍiḥ fī Jihat Iʿjāz al-Qurʾān and its intellectual context. In his book, through addressing the critical response of freethinkers in his time concerning religion, prophecy, and scriptures, Murtaḍā argued exclusively for the theory of ṣarfa and negated the possibility of relying on the Qurʾānic language to substantiate the veracity of the prophet. Although ṣarfa enunciated by Murtaḍā exhibits rational sophistication and critical rigor, through examining the discursive process of making orthodoxy and heresy in Islam in light of ṣarfa, I proposed that the creation of its subsequent heretical image and popularity of the notion of Qurʾānic linguistic inimitability was influenced by the shift in Muslim theological discourse from rationalistic inquiry to linguistic philosophical paradigm. In this context, ṣārfa as a vestige of the antiquated model threatened the nucleus of the newly adopted paradigm, in which Qurʾānic linguistic excellence stood as an epitome of Muslim civilization, knowledge, and Arabic language— and thereby it was jettisoned as heretical in the changed intellectual scene. In this vein, I also brought to attention that in addition to the secular political authority, other non-religious elements, such as pride in the Arabic language and Arab ancestry in this case, may determine the making of heresy/orthodoxy in Islamic thought, which shows more spontaneity in this mechanism than usually assumed
Mohan Singh Diwana’s Gobind Gītā textbook: An Analysis on the Subversion of Varṇāśramadharm a in the Sikh Tradition
No full textThis thesis examines Mohan Singh Diwana’s Gobind Gītā textbook (GGt), focusing on its portrayal of karmayoga (path of action) within the formative period of Indian nationalist and communal politics (1920-1950). It addresses the marginalization of the Gobind Gītā (GG) and the reemergence of the GGt in Sikh intellectual spaces. This occurs against the backdrop of the politicization of the Bhagavad Gītā (BG) as a unifying text for Indian nationalist identity and the GG’s subsequent exclusion from the standardized Dasam Granth (DG) by the Sodhak Committee. I argue that Diwana contextualizes the GGt to safeguard a pluralistic vision grounded in Gurmat against interpretations of karmayoga in the BG that supported varṇāśramadharma , connecting it to a Vedānticized Indian nationalist identity formation. The thesis concludes that the GGt presents a unique understanding of karmayoga based in Gurmat (Sikh worldview) and Gursikhī (Gurmat lived experience), actively rejecting the socioreligious institution of varṇāśramadharma (hierarchical sociopolitical system). This thesis employs a historical hermeneutic approach and comparative literary analysis by focusing on chapter three “Karmayoga da updesh” of the GGt, analysing Diwana’s introduction, verses, and biography. The concept of kathā (dialogical exposition) is also used to understand the GGt’s structure and its critique of varṇāśramadharma . This thesis begins by contextualizing GGt's emergence, while outlining the argument and methodology. Then, this thesis explores karmayoga in the Bhagavad Gītā to establish its textual connection with varṇā śramadharma and to contextualize its role in nationalist interpretations. Next, this thesis analyzes the GGt’s portrayal of karmayoga, arguing that it embodies Gurmat and Gursikhī through practices like nām simran (remembrance of the divine name), kīrtan (singing hymns), and kathā , alongside an egalitarian Khalsa (spiritual-military order) ethos. This thesis contributes to Sikh Studies by reinserting Diwana’s work into scholarly discourse and reasserting a Sikh pluralistic vision against prevailing varṇāśramadharma based BG interpretations
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
The Karmic Ledger in Four Yuan Zaju Dramatic Texts: Negotiating Family, Debt, and Merchant Ethics of Mongol-Ruled China
No full textVariations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Love in the Writings of Ibn ‘Arabī
No full textThis thesis aims to explore the theory of love in the writings of the Andalusian Sufi Ibn ‘Arabī (d. 1240 CE). It begins by examining Love, both the nature of Divine and human love, as has been passionately declared in the writings of many of the Sufi masters that preceded Ibn ‘Arabī before turning to the views of the Sufi master himself. The doctrine of Divine love as outlined by many of the Sufis revolves mainly around two important Qur’anic verses, and three hadiths. The two Qur’anic verses indicate God’s initiating love, and how it is that humans can attain God’s love, while the three hadiths express different aspects of realizing the love of God, and the reasons for God’s creation of the world. The Sufis from the early centuries of Islam (9th-10th) sometimes defined love as their “religion,” by which they meant, their way to God. Ibn ‘Arabī not only expanded on these earlier Sufi theories, but also detailed his own original insights. He openly declared the primacy of love over all else and argued that love is the dynamic force behind creation. To help understand the importance of Divine love in Akbarian thought (the school created by Ibn ‘Arabi), an in-depth reading and a close textual analysis of selected works on Divine love by Ibn ‘Arabī’s will be undertaken. The most important of these are The Interpreter of Longings (1214 CE) (Turjumān al-Ashwāq, 611 AH), The Ringstones of Wisdom (1232 CE) (Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam, 630 AH), and The Meccan Openings (1238 CE) (al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, 636 AH). The approach outlined above will help demonstrate love’s predominant position in Ibn ‘Arabī’s writings and assist those who study these volumes. In addition, it will provide certain interpretive codes that can help to unlock the meanings and emphasize, at the same time, the significance of Ibn ‘Arabī’s unique symbolic language. In undertaking this task, my hope is that this research will help to inspire further inquiry into Ibn ‘Arabī’s multi-faceted teachings, with its rich and complex conceptualizations of love
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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