James McDougall

In this enlightening conversation, James McDougall, a Professor at Oxford and author of Worlds of Islam: A Global History, explores the interwoven histories of Islam and the West. He challenges the myth of Islamic resistance to modernity, emphasizing how Islamic empires shaped global dynamics. McDougall discusses the implications of the Mongol sack of Baghdad, the role of Central Asia in Islamic history, and how Muslim thinkers redefined civilization concepts. He calls for a nuanced understanding of modernity as a shared global experience rather than a Western-dominated narrative.

James McDougall, historian and author of Worlds of Islam, traces Islam’s long transformations worldwide. He explores its diverse histories, early rapid expansion, gradual conversions, and administrative innovations from Baghdad to Southeast Asia. The conversation highlights shifting centers of power, encounters with empires and nomads, and Islam’s global adaptability across centuries.

James McDougall, Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Oxford, offers a sweeping global history of Islam from Late Antiquity to the digital age. He traces long arcs of expansion, local diversity, and modern transformations. The conversation highlights biographical storytelling, research methods, and how global scholarship reshapes understanding of Islam’s past and present.

James McDougall, Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Oxford and author of Worlds of Islam, offers a sweeping global narrative from seventh-century Arabia to the digital age. He traces Islam’s spread via armies, merchants, and missionaries. The conversation highlights diverse local stories, surprising figures, periodization choices, and the book’s role in addressing modern Islamophobia.

James McDougall, Oxford historian of modern North Africa and the Middle East, discusses his sweeping narrative Worlds of Islam. He traces Islam’s spread from seventh-century Arabia to Asia and Europe. He explains choices about periodization, biographies, and synthesizing local studies. He reflects on research challenges, digital archives, notable figures, and scholarship’s role against Islamophobia.