
A unique Judaeo-Urdu manuscript, Or.13287 - diodorus
http://blogs.bl.uk/asian-and-african/2017/07/a-unique-judaeo-urdu-manuscript-or-13287.html
======
FlyingSnake
This is a fascinating synthesis of cultures.

A Shia Muslim king gave patronage to a Jewish artist who created a syncretic
work based on Hindu themes (the celestial court of Indra) in a language
derived from Hindustani and a script loaned from Farsi. It provides a glimpse
at a past when cultures were collaborating with each other freely to create
great art work, without animosity. I wonder how many more such unique works
will be re-discovered and brought to light.

~~~
dalbasal
I'm not sure we can/should assume a lack of _animosity._ In most cases, these
things exist alongside animosity. Human culture is very complex and the story
is usually multifaceted.

We all recently revolted against the last empires and quasi-empires in favour
of nationalism. It's hard to say it was unjustified, and it often came with
democracy and other aspects of liberty and liberalism. But empires have played
complex roles in human history. They were oppressors and enslavers, but also
collectors of culture and scholarship. Enablers of travel, commerce and
cultural exchange. They brought disparate cultures together, voluntarily and
involuntary.

Massive empire building in many cases left culturally rich legacies. The
Mongolian empire opened east-west exchange of ideas and contact between
scholarly, religious and artistic culture throughout all Eurasia. Some credit
it with enabling cultural movements like the Italian Renaissance. This was
alongside atrocities. Look up the conquest of Baghdad.

The Baghdadi Jews the article references have a long history with empires. The
community started 2700 years ago, when the King of babylon conquered Judea and
shipped Jerusalem's elite to the Bagdad area. The enormous Persian empire
conquered Babylon and they were at the center of a cultural superpower. Then
Alexander's Greeks Came, then Romans, Parthians, Caliphs, Khans, Seljuks,
Ottomans... Many Emperors. Much blood. Much art.

~~~
ranit
> We all recently revolted against the last empires and quasi-empires in
> favour of nationalism

"We all" is an overstatement.

~~~
dalbasal
An ounce of artistic license,please. We (the vast majority of us) can't caveat
everything. :)

