Berque, Jacques (1904-1995)

Sociologist and anthropologist, Jacques Berque is an Islamologist specializing in the Arab world, an orientalist who dominated this field of study in France. Born in Algeria, he was first a colonial official in Morocco for about twenty years, with an interest in Muslim law. His monograph in the Seksawa country, Structures sociales du Haut Atlas (1955) opened the doors to a university career at the Collège de France and the EPHE in 1956. Not complacent with French colonial policy, he is a fervent supporter of independence movements in the Arab world. His work focuses on the social history of the Maghreb and the founding texts of Islam.

Keywords: Colonial sciences | Orientalism | French Ethnology | French colonialism | 20^th century | Morocco | Maghreb | Arab and Islamic Studies | Islam