Degree Year
2018
Document Type
Thesis - Open Access
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
History
Advisor(s)
Zeinab Abul-Magd
Keywords
Deoband, Deobandi, Madrassa, Madrasa, Madrasah, Madrassah, Taliban, Zia, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Islamic schools, Soviet Afghan War, Radicalization, Terrorism
Abstract
This project traces the evolution of the Islamic Deobandi madrassas from their creation during the British colonial period in India to present day Pakistan and Afghanistan. The goal is to argue that these madrassas turned to militancy due to regional political factors. This is done by examining the madrassas in three periods; the British colonial period, the Soviet-Afghan War period, and the years when the Taliban were in power in Afghanistan. Using these eras, the thesis argues that the madrassas were radicalized due to external actors. This radicalization can be seen by comparing the actions of the madrassas at each stage to their original mission, thereby analyzing the ways in which the radicalization occurred.
Repository Citation
Husain, Samir, "Madrassas: The Evolution (or Devolution?) of the Islamic Schools in South Asia (1857-Present)" (2018). Honors Papers. 158.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/honors/158
