Reuben Levy
Encyclopedia
Reuben Levy was Professor of Persian at the University of Cambridge
, who wrote on Persian literature and Islamic history.
, the University College of North Wales, Bangor and Jesus College, Oxford
, studying Persian, Turkish and the Semitic languages. During the First World War, he was a captain in General Staff Intelligence in Mesopotamia (1916 to 1918), and worked in the Iraq Political Service (1918 to 1920). He lectured in Persian at Oxford from 1920 to 1923 before living in the United States from 1923 to 1926.
He moved to the University of Cambridge
in 1926 as Lecturer in Persian, and became Professor of Persian in 1950, the chair being created for him. He was also a Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge
. During the Second World War, he was a Squadron Leader
in RAF Intelligence.
{A Mirror for Princes, 1951), The Tales of Marzuban (1959) and The Shah-nama (1966).
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, who wrote on Persian literature and Islamic history.
Life
Levy was educated at the Friars School, BangorFriars School, Bangor
Ysgol Friars is a comprehensive school in Bangor, Gwynedd, and one of the oldest schools in Wales.-1557 Establishment:The school was founded by Geoffrey Glyn, Doctor of Laws, who had been brought up in Anglesey and had followed a career in law in London....
, the University College of North Wales, Bangor and Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
, studying Persian, Turkish and the Semitic languages. During the First World War, he was a captain in General Staff Intelligence in Mesopotamia (1916 to 1918), and worked in the Iraq Political Service (1918 to 1920). He lectured in Persian at Oxford from 1920 to 1923 before living in the United States from 1923 to 1926.
He moved to the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1926 as Lecturer in Persian, and became Professor of Persian in 1950, the chair being created for him. He was also a Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
. During the Second World War, he was a Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
in RAF Intelligence.
Works
His first book, Persian Literature (1923), was written when he was still a lecturer at Oxford. A Baghdad Chronicle (1929) was an account of the Muslim Middle Ages and Abbasid Caliphate. It led to his major work, The Sociology of Islam (2 volumes, 1931–33) (reissued in 1957 as The Social Structure of Islam), which was regarded as a new approach to Muslim history. He also produced translations and critical editions of texts, including the 11th century Persian text Qabus namaQabus nama
Qabus nama or Qabus nameh [variations: Qabusnamah, Qabousnameh, Ghabousnameh, or Ghaboosnameh, in Persian: قابوسنامه, book of Qabus] is a major work of Persian literature from the eleventh century Qabus nama or Qabus nameh [variations: Qabusnamah, Qabousnameh, Ghabousnameh, or Ghaboosnameh, in...
{A Mirror for Princes, 1951), The Tales of Marzuban (1959) and The Shah-nama (1966).