Asian Studies Stimulated by Ma Programme
Research which draws attention is most often done by established scholars who have been working on a certain topic for a long time. But even these scholars have made a start by writing papers and a thesis in the framework of their educational training. The present contribution would like to draw attention to a number of interesting writings relevant to Asian studies, written by students of the MA Programme in Islamic Studies at Leiden University. I will start by giving a brief description of this MA programme.By Nico Kaptein
The Leiden MA programme in Islamic Studies was initiated in 1994 in a joint effort by the Indonesian-Netherlands Co-operation in Islamic Studies (INIS); the Department for the History of Religions and the Department of Languages and Cultures of the Islamic Middle East. In principle, the programme takes one year, but due to certain (in particular language) deficiencies most students study longer. Students who want to be admitted to this programme should hold a Bachelor's degree in Islamic Studies (or relevant field), have a good command of English, and posses a basic knowledge of Arabic.At the moment we have students from Egypt, Indonesia, Germany, the Netherlands (often with a Moroccan, Turkish or Surinamese background), Sri Lanka, and Armenia. The core staff is comprised of senior lecturers on Islam from these three units of Leiden University. The principal aim of the MA programme is to provide the participants with the methodological tools necessary for conducting research in the field of Islamic studies. In order the achieve this goal the participants have to follow a weekly master class in the methods and principles of Islamic studies, focusing on source criticism and various theoretical and conceptual approaches to historical and contemporary manifestations of Islam. In addition there is a bi-weekly staff seminar, in which established scholars present part of their work, and there are seminars with a regional focus, on Egypt and Indonesia. The most important part of the programme is the writing of a thesis under the supervision of a Leiden specialist, leading to the Dutch degree of drs (doctorandus) which, according to Dutch law gives its bearer the right to use the degree of MA, and which gives access to PhD programmes.
Since the start of the programme in 1994, all kinds of topics were chosen for the thesis depending on the interest of the student. This can be, for example, in the field of the exegesis of the Qur'an, the historicity of the Prophetic Tradition, Islamic theology or another more thematic topic. Apart from this, students might also choose a topic in which a certain regional specialization is developed. The students often choose a topic related to Islam in the Netherlands (or Western Europe), or Indonesia, being the country of origin of the majority of the students. However, other regions are also studied, for example Egypt and Turkey. I would like to highlight a few MA theses which are related to Asia.
Mystical poetry
Many Indonesian students choose a topic for the MA thesis related to Islam in Indonesia. This is understandable from their point of view, since it is interesting for anyone to deepen the understanding of one's own place of origin. Moreover, this choice is very rational because the available source materials about Indonesia in the Netherlands are abundant. An example of a thesis on Indonesian Islam is the one by Chaider S. Bamuallim, who gained his MA degree on 13 February 1998. This thesis deals with the best known contemporary Indonesian theologian, Nurcholish Madjid. In a very detailed fashion it places the thinking of Nurcholish in its socio-political setting, and provides a very interesting introduction to his work by using two concepts (hanif and fitra) as keys for interpretation.
Another thesis about Indonesian Islam was written by Amelia Fauzia (Jakarta), who concluded her MA programme in June 1998. This thesis Ratu Adil Movements and the Search for Justice in the Banyumas Residency from 1870 - 1920, is based mainly on archival materials of the former Ministry of the Colonies (kept in the General State Archives in The Hague). The thesis deals with two messianic movements, which occurred in this region: the Amad Ngisa/ Syekh Djumadil Kubra Movement in 1870-1871, and secondly, the Raden Mas Hadi/ Kyai Sirad movement in 1919-1920. The work is important because these movements had not yet been studied in detail before. The well-known Indonesian historian Sartono Kartodidjo only mentioned those briefly.
A final example of a thesis related to Indonesia, about to be finished by Jajang Jahroni (Jakarta), is on the well-known Sundanese panghulu/scholar hadji Hasan Mustafa (d 1930). Previous work by other scholars focused mainly on hadji Hasan as a historical person or as a literary figure. This thesis for the first time studies the notoriously difficult mystical poetry from the perspective of Islamic studies, analysing its contents against the background of the mystical thought of Ibn Arabi, Al-Jili, Al-Ghazali, and Ibn Fadlillah al-Burhanpuri.
Other regions than Indonesia are also studied. An excellent example is the thesis by Karin de Vries (Leiden) who graduated in June 1998. The thesis, entitled Muslim Saints and Shrines in Multan, highlights the role of saints in cultivation, sedentarization, and Islamization in the frontier area of Multan during the period 1320-1901. This thesis will be elaborated into a PhD thesis at the University of Utrecht.
Although it would be possible to continue mentioning other very original student's writings, my point will be clear: it is very rewarding to see how young, enthusiastic students can reach a high standard of academic writing, as the result of an intensive tutoring in a dynamic international atmosphere. This academic achievement opens new opportunities for them for further academic or other functions in their country of origin or elsewhere. I am sure that the most talented of them will make substantial contributions to Asian Studies in the future.
Dr Nico J.G. Kaptein is secretary of the Islamic Studies Programme at Leiden University, and co-ordinator of the Indonesian-Netherlands Co-operation in Islamic Studies. E-mail: projdiv@let.leidenuniv.nl.