Bernard Lewis

Bernard Lewis
Name	Bernard Lewis
Caption	Lewis in 2009
Birth date	31 May 1916
Birth place	London, England, United Kingdom
Death date	19 May 2018
Death place	Voorhees Township, New Jersey, United States
Nationality	British, American
Fields	Middle Eastern studies, History of Islam, Islamic studies
Workplaces	University of London, Princeton University, Cornell University
Alma mater	University of London (SOAS)
Doctoral advisor	Sir Hamilton Gibb
Notable students	Efraim Karsh
Known for	Studies on the Ottoman Empire, Jews of Islam, "clash of civilizations" concept
Awards	Harvey Prize (1978), National Humanities Medal (2006)

Bernard Lewis was a preeminent British-American historian, orientalist, and public intellectual, renowned for his expertise on the Middle East and Islamic world. His prolific career spanned over seven decades, during which he authored numerous influential works on the Ottoman Empire, the history of Arab-Israeli relations, and the historical roots of contemporary political Islamism. While celebrated for his scholarly erudition and command of primary sources in languages like Arabic, Turkish, and Persian, his interpretations, particularly regarding Islam and violence and the so-called "clash of civilizations," generated significant academic and political controversy.

Early life and education

Born in London to middle-class Jewish parents, he demonstrated an early aptitude for languages. He pursued his undergraduate studies at the University of London, initially focusing on French history before his interests shifted decisively toward the Near East. He earned his PhD in 1939 from the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), where he studied under the renowned orientalist Sir Hamilton Gibb. His doctoral research centered on the history of the Isma'ili sect, laying the groundwork for his deep engagement with Islamic history.

Academic career

After serving in the British Army and the Foreign Office during the Second World War, Lewis returned to academia, holding a chair in History of the Near and Middle East at SOAS from 1949 to 1974. In 1974, he accepted a prestigious position at Princeton University, where he served as the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor of Near Eastern Studies until his retirement in 1986. He also held concurrent appointments at the Institute for Advanced Study and, later, Cornell University. Throughout his career, he mentored a generation of scholars, including historian Efraim Karsh, and was a frequent lecturer at institutions like the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Scholarship and influence

Lewis's scholarship was vast, encompassing the political, social, and intellectual history of the Middle East from the time of the Prophet Muhammad to the modern era. His seminal works, such as The Emergence of Modern Turkey and The Arabs in History, became standard texts. He made significant contributions to the study of the Ottoman archives, utilizing Turkish documents to reinterpret the empire's decline. His book The Jews of Islam explored the historical status of dhimmi communities, while What Went Wrong? analyzed perceived historical divergences between the Islamic world and the Western world. His formulation of enduring historical resentment, popularized in the phrase "the clash of civilizations," influenced policymakers in administrations from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush.

Views and controversies

Lewis's work often positioned him at the center of intense debate. Critics, notably scholar Edward Said in his work Orientalism, accused him of perpetuating a neo-Orientalist narrative that presented Islam as a monolithic, inherently adversarial civilization. His support for the 2003 invasion of Iraq and his arguments concerning the historical roots of contemporary Islamist violence were highly contentious. Figures like Noam Chomsky were among his most vocal detractors, while others, such as historian Michael Axworthy, offered more nuanced critiques of his later political analyses. His testimony at the International Court of Justice on matters related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict was also widely discussed.

Awards and honors

In recognition of his scholarly contributions, Lewis received numerous accolades. He was awarded the Harvey Prize by the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in 1978. In 2006, President George W. Bush presented him with the National Humanities Medal. He was a fellow of the British Academy and an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Several festschrifts, including The Muslim World dedicated to him, attested to his stature in the field, though his legacy remains complex and debated.

Later life and death

In his later years, Lewis remained an active writer and commentator, publishing works like Faith and Power and The End of Modern History in the Middle East. He continued to engage in public discourse, contributing to publications like The Atlantic and The Wall Street Journal. Bernard Lewis died at his home in Voorhees Township, New Jersey, in 2018, leaving behind an extensive and influential, if polarizing, body of work that continues to shape discussions on the history and politics of the Middle East.

Category:British historians Category:American historians Category:Historians of the Middle East Category:1916 births Category:2018 deaths