AN ANNOTATED INDEX OF DISSERTATIONS ON ORIENTALISM IN THE UNIVERSITIES OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA

خیبر پختون خوا کے جامعات میں استشراق پر لکھے گئے مقالات کا توضیحی اشاریہ

Abstract

This study presents an annotated and thematic index of research dissertations on Orientalism produced in the universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It aims to identify the major research trends, thematic orientations, degree-wise distribution, and institutional contribution to Orientalist studies in the province. Adopting a descriptive, analytical, and bibliographic approach, the study compiles and categorizes 57 research dissertations produced at the M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., and B.S. levels across twelve universities. The findings indicate that Prophetic Biography (Sīrah) constitutes the most extensively researched theme, followed by the Qur’an and Tafsīr, Islamic civilization and history, Ḥadīth and its sciences, and Islamic jurisprudence and law. The study further reveals that M.Phil. dissertations constitute the largest proportion of the identified research, followed by Ph.D. studies, while comparatively fewer studies have been undertaken at the M.A. and B.S. levels. Among the institutions surveyed, the University of Malakand has produced the highest number of dissertations on Orientalism, followed by Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan and Gomal University. The analysis also demonstrates a significant tendency toward critical studies of individual Orientalists, their works, methodological approaches, and interpretations of Islamic sources. Overall, the study provides a systematic bibliographic map of Orientalist scholarship in the universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and identifies areas of thematic concentration as well as potential avenues for further interdisciplinary research. By consolidating dispersed scholarly work into an annotated and categorized index, the study offers a useful reference framework for researchers seeking to understand the development and trajectory of Orientalist studies in the region.