Muslim Scholars, the Renaissance, and the Origins of the Concept of Race

Historical Context of Northern Africa and Europe

• During the period known as the Dark Ages in Europe, North America was involved in significant silver production.
• While Europe remained in the Dark Ages, the rest of the world was flourishing. K. Bear is situated in the middle of this period of the Dark Ages.
• Between the $11^{th}$ and $13^{th}$ centuries, Northern Africa saw a wave of prosperity among its nations.
• Both Muslim and Christian nations existed in Africa during this time, but the Muslim nations were particularly thriving.
• Some of the oldest universities in existence were founded in Northern Africa by Muslim scholars during this era of prosperity.

The Intellectual Influence of Muslim Scholars on the European Renaissance

• African Muslim scholars from Northern Africa crossed the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe.
• These scholars brought with them highly developed intellectual capacity and the ability to read and write.
• At this time, European populations had forgotten how to read their own historical and foundational texts, including those from the Greco-Roman tradition.
• Europeans had specifically lost the ability to read and translate Latin.
• The Muslim scholars from Northern Africa took the Greco-Roman texts and translated them.
• These scholars were responsible for teaching Europeans how to write and read once again.
• This intellectual intervention led directly to the Renaissance, which is defined as a boom in:
  • Knowledge acquisition.
  • Cultural production.
  • Scientific experiments.

The Emergence and Dissemination of the Concept of Race

• As Europe emerged from the Dark Ages, a new word entered the lexicon: race.
• Evidence of the use of the word "race" began to appear in various public and literary forms, including:
  • Publications.
  • Newspaper articles.
  • Novels.
  • Stories.
• The word "race" was initially used as a mechanism to separate different groups of people.

The Functional Use of Race in the Context of Land Enclosure

• Race became a tool used for specific functions within society.
• The first time the concept of race was utilized for a specific function was in Europe during the process of enclosure.
• Enclosure took place throughout the European countryside and targeted landless people.
• These landless individuals were people who worked the land but did not own it.
• The peasants living in the European countryside were grouped together and categorized under the term serfs.
• Monarchs utilized this categorization to kick all of the serfs off of their land.
• The very first functional application of the word race was as a means to take land away from English peasants.

Questions & Discussion

• Question/Observation: A participant raised their hand to share a thought after reading the material.
• Response: The participant expressed that they felt a certain way after their reading (interrupted).