Sketches from Eastern History

A collection of revised essays presenting concise historical and philological studies of the Near East. It opens with observations on Semitic character, proceeds to close readings of the Koran and an outline of Islamic institutions, and offers a contextual biography of the early Abbasid ruler Mansur. Other pieces reconstruct a large servile revolt, follow the rise and rule of Yakub the Coppersmith and his dynasty, profile notable Syrian saints and the scholar Barhebræus, and survey the reign and aftermath of an Abyssinian king. The essays blend source criticism, chronological synthesis, geographical notes, and linguistic remarks for informed general readers and specialists.