In An Antique Land Summary Sparknotes
Introduction
"In An Antique Land" is a book written by Amitav Ghosh, which is a combination of history, anthropology and memoir. This book is about the two years Ghosh spent in the 1980s in a small village named Lataifa, which is located in the Nile Delta of Egypt. The author was doing research on the slave trade between India and the Arab world in the 12th century. The book is a mix of the author's personal experiences in the village and the historical research he conducted. This article is a summary of the book using Sparknotes.
Chapter 1: The Village in Egypt
The book starts with Ghosh's arrival in Lataifa, Egypt. He describes the village and its inhabitants in detail. He also talks about his landlord, Mustafa, who becomes his guide and friend throughout his stay in Egypt. Ghosh describes how he is fascinated by the culture and customs of the people in the village.
Chapter 2: The Slave
In this chapter, Ghosh talks about a slave named Bomma, who was brought to Egypt from India in the 12th century. Ghosh came across a reference to Bomma in a document while doing research in the archives of the Cairo Geniza. He describes how he became interested in Bomma's story and started researching more about him.
Chapter 3: The Cairo Geniza
In this chapter, Ghosh talks about the Cairo Geniza, which is a collection of Jewish documents found in a synagogue in Cairo. Ghosh describes how he came across the documents related to Bomma's story in the Geniza. He also talks about the importance of the Geniza in the study of the history of the Middle East.
Chapter 4: The Journey
In this chapter, Ghosh talks about his journey to India to find out more about Bomma's story. He describes his experiences in India and his encounters with various people who helped him in his research. He also talks about the difficulty he faced in finding information about Bomma.
Chapter 5: The Slave's Master
In this chapter, Ghosh talks about Bomma's master, a Jewish merchant named Abraham Ben Yiju. He describes how he found information about Ben Yiju from the documents in the Cairo Geniza. He also talks about Ben Yiju's business dealings and his relationship with Bomma.
Chapter 6: The Archive
In this chapter, Ghosh talks about the Cairo Geniza and its importance in the study of the history of the Middle East. He describes how the archive was discovered and its contents. He also talks about the significance of the archive in the field of history and anthropology.
Chapter 7: The Slave's Story
In this chapter, Ghosh talks about Bomma's story and his journey from India to Egypt. He describes Bomma's life as a slave and his relationship with his master, Abraham Ben Yiju. He also talks about the historical context of the slave trade between India and the Arab world in the 12th century.
Chapter 8: The Conclusion
In the conclusion, Ghosh summarizes his research on Bomma and his experiences in Lataifa, Egypt. He talks about the importance of studying the history and culture of the Middle East. He also reflects on his personal growth and the impact of his research on his life.