Muslims in Thailand Biographies

In addition to bibliographies, the MITBB Project also curates biographies of individuals who were most influential between the mid-1780s (when the former Malay Kerajaan of Patani was first invaded by the Siamese), and the 1940s. The influence of these individuals was related to their families, the ‘ulama they studied with and taught, the pondok they established, and the kitab they authored. Some studied, taught, and wrote in halaqa in the Hijaz, and the wide Middle East. Others were…

The biographical dataset presented in this part of the MITBB is in the form of a wide range of tables, figures, maps, timelines, and infographics that we have produced. These are based on a number of works, some of which can be found on page 115 of the topical bibliography (under “ulama and Kitab Jawi”). The most important, however, are Francis R. Bradley’s doctoral dissertation and Center for Patani Studies.

This biographical dataset is divided into five (interconnected) parts:

1. Families documents the three most influential scholarly families in post-1780s Patani;
2. Ulama provides a biographical sketch of the most important local ‘ulama, some of whom were members of these family networks. This include the names of their teachers and students—in both the Middle East and Patani;
3. Pondok builds upon the biographical details in “Families” and “Ulama” but concentrates upon where, when, and through whom Patani’s network of traditional residential religious boarding schools developed, between the 1780s, and 1940s.
4. Kitab is more specifically concerned with ‘ulama who came from these family networks, and were involved in halaqa (in the Hajiz) and pondok (in Patani) became influential as authors of Kitab Jawi.
5. Copyists develops some of the theme in “Kitab” by documenting which of these religious works were copied. Moreover, who, where, and when these copyists served the local Muslim community in this way.