Lecture by Siga Maguiraga
Chaired by Amy Chazkel

Since the spread of Islam in the Sahel, Muslims have traveled to major centers of learning, such as Cairo, in search of knowledge. Long regulated by Islamic norms and authorities, this mobility was transformed by colonial conquest in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Imperial governance and emerging nationality regimes increasingly affected who could travel, receive assistance, or return home. This talk focuses on Central Sahelian seekers of knowledge studying at al-Azhar, examining how they negotiated overlapping forms of authority and belonging during a period of contested sovereignty. It argues that Central Sahelian seekers strategically used their in-between positions, as imperial subjects, outsider Muslims, and members of mobile communities, to secure resources and sustain their presence in colonial Cairo.

Fall Thursday Lecture Series events are open to Columbia-affiliated faculty, students, and invited guests. All others interested in attending, please email the SOF/Heyman at [email protected].

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