Oriental Languages and Civilizations

The book is structured into six sections, each dedicated to different facets of literature, language, history, culture, science, religions, and philosophy from the Eastern World. It endeavors to present the current landscape of oriental studies, particularly emphasizing the philological aspects of Asian and African studies, while also embracing related fields within the humanities, including the historical development of oriental research. This multifaceted approach mirrors the inherently interdisciplinary nature of contemporary oriental studies.

The first section delves into literary analyses, providing fresh perspectives on works written in an array of languages, including Arabic, Hindi, Turkish, Urdu, Persian, and Japanese. Following this, the second section focuses on linguistic research, showcasing studies on Sanskrit through stylometric methods, exploring Japanese linguistic constructs, investigating Japanese poetry as a linguistic source, and examining Arabic translations of the Bible, among other topics in Arabic and Turkish linguistics.

In the third section, the volume turns to historical analysis, examining significant historical events and relationships, such as Napoleon's Middle Eastern campaign, the 18th-century interactions between the Middle East and Russia, the chronicles of the Seljuk Empire, and the writings of the Moroccan historian afar Ibn Amad an-Nr as-Salaw.

The fourth section is dedicated to the history of oriental studies, with discussions on the evolution of these studies in Kraków and the complexities involved in producing a critical edition of the Quran. In the fifth section, the focus shifts to cultural and scientific developments, analyzing the cinematic contributions of Egyptian filmmaker Ysuf ahn and exploring the possible influences of Medieval Muslim science on Polish scholars.

The final section addresses religious and philosophical themes, delving into Confucian ethical theories and highlighting Karma Bint Amad Al-Marwaziyya's role in the preservation and dissemination of Islamic religious traditions.

The volume features key contributors from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, including Barbara Michalak-Pikulska, Head of the Arabic Department, who completed her Ph.D. in Arabic Literature in 1994 and is now a professor specializing in Modern Arabic Literature. Marek Piela and Tomasz Majtczak, both Assistant Professors at the Institute of Oriental Studies, contribute with their expertise in Hebrew and translation studies, alongside Majtczak's research into Old and Classical Japanese, Old Turkic, Yiddish, and various realms of historical linguistics and etymology.