Hugh Kennedy as an Orientalist Historian and His Contribution to the Understanding of Islamic History in the West

Year 2024, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 117 - 134, 31.12.2024

Öznur Özdemir

https://doi.org/10.51490/oksident.1496718

Abstract

Orientalism -describing, understanding and explaining the Eastern world in Western disciplines- has been one of the concepts discussed in the modern period. Considering the changing dynamics in the modern period and the new orientalist views, the question “Should orientalism be understood entirely negatively?” comes to mind. If the subject is Islamic history, the impact of these researchers and their studies in developing an understanding of Islam in the West, including theories about history and the historian, emerges as a research matter. This article aims to investigate the impact of Hugh Kennedy as an Orientalist historian on the understanding of Islamic history in the West. In the article, Kennedy’s life and academic career are examined, his works and his influence on Islamic historiography are evaluated. Finally, his approach to Islamic history is discussed by researching the method he followed and his impact on the understanding of Islamic history in the West is assessed.

Keywords

Orientalism, Hugh Kennedy, Islamic History, Historiography

Oryantalist Bir Tarihçi Olarak Hugh Kennedy ve Batı'da İslam Tarihinin Anlaşılmasına Etkisi

Abstract

Doğu dünyasını Batı disiplinlerinde tasvir etme, anlamlandırma ve anlatma sanatı olarak oryantalizm, özellikle modern dönem içinde tartışılan kavramlardan biri olmuştur. Nitekim, modern dönemde değişen dinamikler ve çalışmalarıyla öne çıkan yeni oryantalist isimler göz önünde bulundurulduğunda “oryantalizm tamamen menfi bir şekilde mi anlaşılmalıdır?” sorusu akıllara gelmektedir. Konu İslam tarihi olduğunda ise bu araştırmacıların ve ortaya koydukları eserlerin Batı’da İslam’ın anlaşılmasına yaptıkları olumlu veya olumsuz tesir, tarih ve tarihçi hakkındaki teorileri de kapsayarak araştırılması gereken bir konu olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Bu makale, oryantalist bir tarihçi olarak Hugh Kennedy’nin Batı’da İslam tarihinin anlaşılmasına etkisini değerlendirmek üzere kaleme alınmıştır. Çalışmada Kennedy’nin hayatı ve akademik kariyeri, eserleri ve İslam tarihçiliğine katkısı ele alınmıştır. Son olarak İslam tarihine yaklaşımı, takip ettiği metot dikkate alınarak incelenmiş ve onun Batı’da İslam tarihinin anlaşılmasına etkisi üzerine yorumlarda bulunulmuştur.

Keywords

Oryantalizm, Hugh Kennedy, İslam Tarihi, Tarihçilik

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