Bernard Lewis

Bernard Lewis
Name	Bernard Lewis
Caption	Bernard Lewis in 2009
Birth date	May 31, 1916
Birth place	Stoke Newington, London, England
Death date	May 19, 2018
Death place	Voorhees, New Jersey, United States
Nationality	British, American
Alma mater	University of London (SOAS), University of Paris
Occupation	Historian, Orientalist, Political commentator
Known for	History of the Middle East, Islam and politics, Orientalism
Notable works	The Arabs in History, The Emergence of Modern Turkey, What Went Wrong?

Bernard Lewis. He was a preeminent and influential British-American historian, orientalist, and public intellectual, renowned for his expertise on the history of the Middle East and Islam. His prolific career spanned over seven decades, during which he authored numerous scholarly works and became a prominent commentator on Islam's relationship with the West. While celebrated for his erudition and accessibility, his interpretations, particularly regarding Orientalism and contemporary Middle Eastern politics, also attracted significant criticism and controversy.

Early Life and Education

Born in Stoke Newington, London, to a middle-class Jewish family, he demonstrated an early aptitude for languages. He pursued his higher education at the University of London, graduating from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) with a focus on the history of the Near and Middle East. To further his studies in Semitic languages, he attended the University of Paris, where he worked under the guidance of distinguished scholars like Louis Massignon. His doctoral research concentrated on the history of the Isma'ili sect, laying the groundwork for his deep engagement with Islamic history.

Career

After serving in the British Army and the Foreign Office during the Second World War, he returned to SOAS as a professor of the history of the Near and Middle East. In 1974, he accepted a position at Princeton University, where he held the prestigious Cleveland E. Dodge Professorship of Near Eastern Studies until his retirement. He also served as a long-term member of the Institute for Advanced Study. Throughout his career, he advised numerous governments and was a frequent contributor to publications like Commentary and The Atlantic, engaging in debates on topics ranging from the fall of the Ottoman Empire to the Iranian Revolution.

Notable Works

His scholarly output was vast and influential. Early works like The Arabs in History and The Emergence of Modern Turkey became standard texts in university curricula. Later, he produced provocative analyses of civilizational conflict, such as The Muslim Discovery of Europe and What Went Wrong?, which examined historical roots of modern tensions. Other significant publications include The Political Language of Islam, Cultures in Conflict, and The Crisis of Islam. His command of primary sources in Arabic, Turkish, and Persian was a hallmark of his research.

Awards and Honors

He received numerous accolades for his contributions to scholarship. These included the Harvey Prize from the Technion, the National Endowment for the Humanities Jefferson Lecture, and the American Historical Association's Award for Scholarly Distinction. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the British Empire and was a fellow of the British Academy. In 2006, he was honored with the National Humanities Medal from President George W. Bush.

Criticism and Controversy

His work, especially after the September 11 attacks, faced intense scrutiny. Critics, notably Edward Said in his book Orientalism, accused him of perpetuating a colonialist, Eurocentric view of Islamic societies. His political commentary, which included support for the Iraq War and analyses of Islamist ideology, was condemned by some scholars as overly simplistic and hawkish. Debates also surrounded his interpretations of the Armenian genocide, a topic on which he was called to testify before the French National Assembly.

Legacy

He remains one of the most cited and debated historians of the Middle East. His ability to synthesize complex history for a broad audience left an indelible mark on both academic and public discourse. While his ideological legacy is contested, his vast erudition and the provocative questions he raised about the historical trajectory of Islam and the West ensure his continued relevance in studies of the Ottoman Empire, Modern Turkey, and Middle Eastern conflicts.

Category:British historians Category:American historians Category:Historians of the Middle East Category:Orientalists