Controlling Knowledge

This is an exploration of the history of a West African society in the 20th century, with specific reference to the evolution of Islamic schooling. The research focuses on the social and political processes that have produced new forms of Muslim expression and self perception. This is a study of the social and political dynamics of a Muslim society (the Republic of Mali, formerly Soudan Francais), where the Islamic religion is a powerful defining element. The text argues that this Muslim society is religiously pluralistic. There is a detailed history of Muslim schools which functions as an anchor around which a complex array of social and political factors are arranged.