Hajj and Europe in the Age of Empire, The

By Umar Ryad

Book Description

This scholarly exploration reveals the complex intersection of Islamic pilgrimage and European colonial power during a transformative period in history. Through carefully researched case studies, the collection examines how European administrators, travelers, and governments encountered and attempted to control the hajj from the sixteenth century through the post-World War II era.

The book presents fascinating accounts of diverse European engagement with this sacred journey to Mecca. Readers will discover how Portuguese colonial forces brutally persecuted pilgrims, while British travel companies like Thomas Cook commercialized the pilgrimage experience. The collection reveals French colonial policies in Algeria, German scholarly investigations of Meccan pilgrimage, and Polish cultural connections to this spiritual tradition.

Each chapter illuminates a different facet of this encounter between European imperial ambitions and Islamic devotional practice. The stories range from disguised European travelers seeking authentic spiritual experience to colonial officers documenting North African pilgrims after World War II. These accounts demonstrate how the hajj became both a site of cultural exchange and political tension.

For readers interested in understanding how spiritual practices navigate political boundaries, this work offers valuable insights into the resilience of religious devotion amid imperial control. The book shows how pilgrimage transcended colonial attempts at regulation, maintaining its sacred significance while adapting to changing political landscapes. This examination of cross-cultural religious encounter provides important perspective on the enduring power of spiritual commitment.