In the middle of the 15th century German inventor, Johann Gutenberg created technology of publishing which extended worldwide. As well as modern global computer networks, it changed the image of the world of that time irrevocably. The concept of printing capitalism is connected to a name of English researcher Benedict Anderson. Printing capitalism, according to him, represented a new form of industrial production of books, newspapers and magazines, which brought not only the income to the bourgeoisie. Here you should not allocate just utilitarian side of this concept. Actually, it is about new means of mass communications, which widely promoted education of the people, distribution of literacy and new knowledge through the printed word. Development of printing capitalism reduced prime cost of book products in comparison with the expensive and labor-consuming hand-written books production.
The photocopy of the title page of a printing publication of the Quran published by Abraham Hinkelman in Hamburg in 1694.
According to Benedict Andersen, printing capitalism became a basis for formation of new consciousness of the western nations through "self-expression", though this aspect is still challenged by scientific community. Mass distribution of printed materials in the West, according to the English scientist, promoted a romanticizing of national heroes, emotional perception of sanctity of the state and sovereignty of the nation. It reconstructed the nature of religious and ethnic consciousness, and an important role for a solidarization of the western nations was played by grammatical unification of dialects into united (later official) languages, by the help of distribution of printed materials. When we speak about the main scripture of Muslims, it is obvious that the typographical way of reproduction of the Quran, played not the last role in fixing of the unified text and overcoming discrepancies of these or those ayahs.
The photocopy of the first sura and translation in the printing Koran published by Ludovico Maracci in 1698.
However, in the Muslim countries development of technologies of publishing delayed for several centuries. The British specialist of Islamic studies Francis Robinson noted that Muslims actually adopted a letterpress printing in four centuries after the invention of that technology. Such lag can’t be explained with technical difficulties, in particular, with labor input in the type matter of the Arab letters, each of which can have up to four types of writing. Many ulama (specialists in islamic theology and other religious fields) perceived an innovation (bida) in adoption of the western technology of the press, but according to F. Robinson, it also can’t clearly explain the similar lag. The researcher perceived a delay of adoption of technology of the press in doctrinal features of Islam. He noted the sacral relation of Muslims to religious texts. First of all to the Quran as to the Divine word, - the speech of God could not be reproduced mechanically, and furthermore be distributed for the purpose of extraction of material profit.
In this regard it is very remarkable that the first printing text of the Quran was reproduced in the West, but not in the Muslim East. It’s considered, that the first printing text of the Quran, according to modern researchers, was reproduced in Venice by Alessandro Paganini approximately in 1537. This edition was mentioned in different sources. Researchers noted that the circulation of the printing Quran intended for sale into the Ottoman Empire and the Arab countries that reflects a desire to make profit using new typographical technologies. However, the text contained a large number of mistakes.
The photocopy of the first suras (chapters) of the printing edition of the Quran published by Abraham Hinkelman in Hamburg in 1694.
There were various versions: from purposeful introduction of mistakes by the western Christians to incompetence of typesetters of the text that looks more plausibly. Long time it was considered that the circulation of the Quran was completely destroyed: according to some people opinion, it was made on command of the Pope, according to opinion of others, circulation was destroyed by publishers because in that way it could not be drawn down by Muslims. However, in 1987 professor Angela Noya found one copy of the first printing Quran in a library of monks of the island of San-Michele in Venice. This distorted version of the printing Koran was in detail described by professor in one of publications.
The following printing editions of the printing text of the Quran in Europe were more successful. In particular, the edition of the pastor and famous collector of east manuscripts Abraham Hinkelman in Hamburg in 1694. The edition contained the big preface in Latin with the description of the text and criticism of Islamic dogma. The printing edition of the Quran was widely distributed in Europe and, obviously, was not intended for distribution to Muslims. Many copies of this edition are stored in library stocks of the countries of the West, and some were available even in electronic trading platforms.
The photocopy of one of suras in the printing Koran published by Ludovico Maracci in 1698
Just after a while in the territory of modern Italy the next printing edition of the Quran was published in Europe. Circulation was printed by the Italian priest, and orientalist Ludovico Maracci in 1698. The two-volume printing Quran published in the Italian city of Padua also contained the version of Latin translation of the book, sacred for Muslims. The edition, apparently, was prepared earlier, than the printing Quran have published for several years earlier in Hamburg. At the moment many originals of this edition are stored in the European library stocks. Thus, the first printing editions of the Quran were produced in the West, prior the circulations were printed in the territory of the Russian Empire.
To be continued …
Rinat Pateev,
Director of the Center of Islamic researches of Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan