Aziz Ahmad

Book Reviews : Clifford Geertz, Islam Observed. New Haven and London, Yale University Press, 1968, pp. 136,

into unknown corners of what was once called the dark continent. This book was one of those efforts, a doctoral thesis submitted to Oxford University in 1967. Judging by the absence of any reference in the text or in the bibliography to the works of Ross, Izard, Argyle and Polanyi, it was not revised between that date and 1971, the date of the preface. In spite of this, the work is competent, represents a thorough and intelligent reading of the archives and fills a significant gap in the historical literature. Obichere’s subject is the French push into Dahomey and the hinterland area stretching from Borgu to the Mossi states. Obichere is writing about an area, most of which was little known in Europe at the time Dahomey excepted and had to be explored before the colonial powers could even be sure what they were claiming. The account, like most narratives of the scramble has elements of the absurd. The flag followed not commerce, but the first map-maker into areas whose resources were little

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Very few studies of Afghanistan have been attempted, and the work under review is as welcome as the previous books by Ademec and Fraser. Compared to these two Grifflths tends to be more journalistic; nonetheless quite informative. Mr. Grifflths examines the growing influence of the USSR in Afghanistan with some discussion of its relevance to Sino-Soviet rivalry. His account of the political and social situation of the country is based to some extent on his personal observations and his interviews with leading Afghans. Two points discussed in the book are especially interesting. The first of these is the 1966 Afghan Constitution, the text of which has also been reproduced in one of the appendices. The second point of interest is the author’s discussion of the Pashtunistan movement. On this point his conclusions, reached over a decade ago, have still some relevance. Analysing the detente between Afghanistan and Pakis-

Book Reviews : Toshihiko Izutsu, Ethico-Religious Concepts in the Qur'an. Montreal, McGill University Press, 1966, pp. 284,

Very few studies of Afghanistan have been attempted, and the work under review is as welcome as the previous books by Ademec and Fraser. Compared to these two Grifflths tends to be more journalistic; nonetheless quite informative. Mr. Grifflths examines the growing influence of the USSR in Afghanistan with some discussion of its relevance to Sino-Soviet rivalry. His account of the political and social situation of the country is based to some extent on his personal observations and his interviews with leading Afghans. Two points discussed in the book are especially interesting. The first of these is the 1966 Afghan Constitution, the text of which has also been reproduced in one of the appendices. The second point of interest is the author’s discussion of the Pashtunistan movement. On this point his conclusions, reached over a decade ago, have still some relevance. Analysing the detente between Afghanistan and Pakis-