Roma in the Medieval Islamic World: Literacy, Culture, and Migration

Richardson's book explores the Sons of Sasan, a group of medieval minority communities in Middle Eastern cities, and their lived experiences, tribal organization, professional niches, language, urban homes, neighborhoods, and cemeteries. It also examines their literary culture and astrological tradition, which broadened our appreciation of their cultural contributions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 01 December 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Winner of the 2022 Dan David Prize for outstanding scholarship that illuminates the past and seeks to anchor public discourse in a deeper understanding of history, Richard Richardson's book "The Sons of Sasan: A History of the Middle Eastern Roma (Gypsies)" has been awarded the 2023 Medieval Academy of America Monica H. Green Prize for Distinguished Medieval Research and Honorable Mention in the 2023 Middle East Medievalists Book Prize. Richardson's book explores the lived experiences of the Sons of Sasan, who changed their name to Ghuraba by the late 1200s, and their impact on Middle Eastern cities as early as the mid-8th century. The book uses mostly Ghuraba-authored works to understand their tribal organization, professional niches, and language Sin, as well as examining the urban homes, neighborhoods, and cemeteries they constructed. Within these isolated communities, the Ghuraba developed and nurtured a deep literary culture and astrological tradition, broadening our appreciation of the cultural contributions of medieval minority communities. Remarkably, the Ghuraba began blockprinting textual amulets by the 10th century, centuries before printing on paper arrived in central Europe. When Roma tribes migrated from Ottoman territories into Bavaria and Bohemia in the 1410s, they may have carried this printing technology into the Holy Roman Empire.

Weight: 408g
Dimension: 156 x 235 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780755635818