Atlas of Islamic History

This Atlas provides the main outlines of Islamic history from the immediately pre-Islamic period until and endpoint of c. 1914, that is, before most parts of the Muslim world became sovereign nation states. It is primarily concerned with political and dynastic change across the globe over 15 centuries.

Each map is accompanied by a text that contextualises, explains, and enlarges upon the map, and all the maps are fully cross-referenced. All the maps are in full colour: 17 of them are double-page spreads, and 27 are single page layouts. This is an atlas of Islamic, not simply Arab or Middle Eastern history; hence it covers the entire Muslim world, including Spain, North, West and East Africa, the Indian sub-continent, Central Asia and South-East Asia. The maps are not static, in that they show transitions within the historical period to which they refer: for instance, the stages of the three contemporaneous Umayyad, Fatimid and ‘Abbasid caliphates on Map 10, or the progress of the Mongol invasions and the formation of the various separate Mongol khanates between 1200 and 1300 on Map 21. Using the most up to date cartographic and innovative design techniques, the maps break new ground in illuminating the history of Islam.

This atlas is intended to serve both as a work of reference and as a textbook for undergraduates.

Peter Sluglett is Visiting Research Professor, Middle East Institute, University of Singapore