Inconsistencies in Washington Irving's characterization of Mahomet in the first volume of Mahomet and His Successors
Date
Authors
Major Professor
Advisor
Committee Member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Altmetrics
Authors
Research Projects
Organizational Units
The Department of English seeks to provide all university students with the skills of effective communication and critical thinking, as well as imparting knowledge of literature, creative writing, linguistics, speech and technical communication to students within and outside of the department.
History
The Department of English and Speech was formed in 1939 from the merger of the Department of English and the Department of Public Speaking. In 1971 its name changed to the Department of English.
Dates of Existence
1939-present
Historical Names
- Department of English and Speech (1939-1971)
Related Units
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (parent college)
- Department of English (predecessor, 1898-1939)
- Department of Public Speaking (predecessor, 1898-1939)
Journal Issue
Is Version Of
Versions
Series
Department
Abstract
In 1849 Washington Irving published the first volume of Mahomet and His Successors, his contribution to the study of Islam and its Prophet. This volume, though one of two, can stand alone as a biography similar in scope to the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus, Life of George Washington and Oliver Goldsmith: A Biography; in it Irving focuses on the life of Mahomet, beginning with a description of the land which gave birth to the Prophet and ending with his death. The second volume, which was hastily thrown together after the publication of the first and presented to the public in 1850, leaves the discussion of the Prophet behind, exploring instead the early spread of the Islamic empire. The book has little of the thematic focus of the first, and bears the marks of being rushed into print: it is a poorly organized collection of battles and intrigues, and shows virtually none of the "toning" which Irving is famous for.