The Unforgettable Queens of Islam: Succession, Authority, Gender

Muslim women have long been discussed in relation to their religion, while little attention has been paid to women's political authority in the Muslim world. Dr. Shahla Haeri addresses this fascinating and timely issue in her latest book “The Unforgettable Queens of Islam: Succession, Authority, Gender”. Her book is among the very few that explores how Muslim women have worked within the structures of political power and authority in different eras. Looking at female rulers from medieval Yemen and India, to modern day Pakistan and Indonesia, Dr. Haeri elegantly builds a pattern of women rulers in Islamic societies while conveying the diversity of each society. I thoroughly enjoyed each story, learning how these very different women acquired and maintained their power and authority, and what their gender brought to their challenges and opportunities. Through the author’s in-depth research and analysis, she demonstrates how each woman, while acquiring state authority, continually battled for trust and authority within the political and religious establishment, and never shed their perceived social role as caregivers. To what extent is this pattern due to the nature of female authority, the sacred texts of Islamic authority, or the culture of Muslim societies? What does this say about the nature of power and authority for female leaders outside of the Islamic world? The book is invaluable for raising and weighing such thought-provoking questions. In this regard, every student of comparative religion, political science, gender studies, and anthropology should read this book. For those interested in the relationship between religion and politics, and the nature of gender and authority in the modern world, this book is a great place to start!