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Miniature Qurans in the First World War : Religious Comforts for Indian Muslim Soldiers

Myrvold, Kristina LU orcid and Johansson, Andreas LU (2019) In Postscripts 9(2-3). p.194-221
Abstract
During the First World War Muslim soldiers from India made up a significant part of the British forces. Attempts to satisfy the soldiers' religious needs became a British strategy to maintain military discipline among the soldiers in Europe and to avoid public unease and discontent in colonial India. Based on archival material, this article examines how the British tried to identify the religious needs of the Indian soldiers and how letters written by Muslim soldiers emphasized the importance of the Qur'an. The article further explores how the Indian Soldiers' Fund became an important charity which procured and distributed miniature copies of the Qur'an and how prominent persons in India and Europe donated scriptures to Muslim soldiers.... (More)
During the First World War Muslim soldiers from India made up a significant part of the British forces. Attempts to satisfy the soldiers' religious needs became a British strategy to maintain military discipline among the soldiers in Europe and to avoid public unease and discontent in colonial India. Based on archival material, this article examines how the British tried to identify the religious needs of the Indian soldiers and how letters written by Muslim soldiers emphasized the importance of the Qur'an. The article further explores how the Indian Soldiers' Fund became an important charity which procured and distributed miniature copies of the Qur'an and how prominent persons in India and Europe donated scriptures to Muslim soldiers. Although the soldiers' uses of the miniature scriptures remain uncertain, the books were given iconic functions to represent religion and identities in a time when the British national honour was threatened. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Postscripts
volume
9
issue
2-3
pages
194 - 221
publisher
Equinox Publishing
ISSN
1743-8888
DOI
10.1558/post.35862
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b9e9a3c3-6fbc-4758-84e6-90ad3061e6e8
date added to LUP
2020-06-06 01:58:40
date last changed
2020-06-23 02:30:45
@article{b9e9a3c3-6fbc-4758-84e6-90ad3061e6e8,
  abstract     = {{During the First World War Muslim soldiers from India made up a significant part of the British forces. Attempts to satisfy the soldiers' religious needs became a British strategy to maintain military discipline among the soldiers in Europe and to avoid public unease and discontent in colonial India. Based on archival material, this article examines how the British tried to identify the religious needs of the Indian soldiers and how letters written by Muslim soldiers emphasized the importance of the Qur'an. The article further explores how the Indian Soldiers' Fund became an important charity which procured and distributed miniature copies of the Qur'an and how prominent persons in India and Europe donated scriptures to Muslim soldiers. Although the soldiers' uses of the miniature scriptures remain uncertain, the books were given iconic functions to represent religion and identities in a time when the British national honour was threatened.}},
  author       = {{Myrvold, Kristina and Johansson, Andreas}},
  issn         = {{1743-8888}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2-3}},
  pages        = {{194--221}},
  publisher    = {{Equinox Publishing}},
  series       = {{Postscripts}},
  title        = {{Miniature Qurans in the First World War : Religious Comforts for Indian Muslim Soldiers}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1558/post.35862}},
  doi          = {{10.1558/post.35862}},
  volume       = {{9}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}