Regionalism in the study of the history of Arabic literature

Abstract

This article examines the phenomenon of regionalism in the study of Arabic literature, which began to emerge alongside the rise of nationalist thought in Egypt during the first quarter of the twentieth century.

 It later evolved into a scientific theory in literary and political studies, with its concepts being established by the Egyptian thinker Amin El-Kholy. Some Arab critics and intellectuals oppose this theory,  viewing it as a conspiracy that undermines the unity of Arabic culture and the Arab peoples. This study traces the origins of the regionalism phenomenon in the literature and culture of the ancient Arabs, and explores its foundational concepts in Western thought. It also discusses how regionalism was first used to establish national literature in Egypt, before spreading to other Arab countries, where historians and critics employed it to define the literature of their respective nations. The article focuses on the origins of the regionalist idea, its spread in modern and contemporary Arabic literary studies, and the various positions regarding it.