Abstract: In the seventeenth century, orientalists across Europe turned to the study of multiple versions of Kalīla wa Dimna. Prominent among them were two works in particular, Kāšifī’s Anvār-i Suhaylī, in Persian, and its Ottoman Turkish translation, ʿAli Çelebi's Humāyūnnāme. This talk will survey the manuscript evidence of this reception and the various annotations and notes that illustrate orientalists’ reading practices. It will also contextualize these sources within two interrelated developments in early modern orientalist scholarship: the reorientation of orientalist learning toward the combined study of Turkish, Persian, and Arabic, and a new interest in Islamic literatures and their histories. 

Paul M. Babinski (Princeton, 2020) is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Copenhagen with the ERC Synergy Project “The European Qur'an. Islamic Scripture in European Culture and Religion 1150-1850”. His dissertation “World Literature in Practice: The Orientalist’s Manuscript between the Ottoman Empire and Germany” traced the emergence of early modern oriental studies through an encounter with Ottoman philology. He is currently working on a book about the practice of reading the Qur’an in early modern Europe. 

The Kalīla and Dimna research colloquium continues the series of presenting international guest speakers in alternation with Close Reading Sessions on text editing questions. Colloquium sessions are being held in a hybrid fashion, combining personal encounter with the advantages of remote access. Participants meet every Thursday from 12:15 to 1:45 pm (CET).

Colleagues, visiting scholars, and students (Arabic Studies or related disciplines) are cordially invited to participate. We especially welcome researchers based elsewhere than Freie Universität Berlin to join us for any one (or more) sessions.

For registration and hybrid link, please mail to: oualid.el.khattabi@fu-berlin.de