Welcome to Chenganakkattil
Explore the academic journey and research insights of Muhamed Riyaz Chenganakkattil, a Postdoctoral Fellow at Ghent University. Delve into his work on Indian Ocean Islam, South Asian culture, social and spatial history, and the narratives of Hajj.
About Muhamed Riyaz Chenganakkattil
Muhamed Riyaz Chenganakkattil is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Languages and Cultures at Ghent University. He completed his PhD in humanities in 2024 with a specialisation in South Asian culture and history from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, where he was an Early Doc Fellow. His work explores the rich intersections of history, Muslim culture, and intellectual productions.
His dissertation, "Sailing to the Hijaz: Narrativization of Hajj in the Literary Indian Ocean," investigated the interplay of Indian Ocean mobilities and Hajj literature. Riyaz's research spans historical archives and narratives in multiple languages, documenting long-term processes of migration, transregional Muslim mobilities, and global Muslim networks within the context of the pilgrimage to Mecca from South Asia.
Key research areas
Global Islam, Indian Ocean studies, Muslim Mobilities, South Asia studies, Intellectual history, Textual and Manuscript cultures, Hajj Literature, and Transregional Networks
Muhamed Riyaz Chenganakattil's research focuses on Indian Ocean studies, exploring mobilities, cross-cultural exchanges, intellectual histories, and literary narratives through multilingual archival work (Arabic, Malayalam, Urdu, Persian, Ottoman Turkish, and English). His interdisciplinary approach combines history, literature, and Islamic studies, with particular attention to South Asian culture, Muslim mobilities, and Hajj pilgrimage accounts from Malabar, Madras, and Hyderabad, while also examining the region's modern global connections.
Archival Search
Behind every research, there is a constant search for underexplored archival sources
Searching through manuscripts in a mosque library in Kerala (2025)
Visited Khudha Baksh Library in Patna (2024)
Parappanangadi Mosque Library collections (2025)
Recent Visit to Bodleian Library, explored many Arabic, Ottoman Turkish and Persian manuscripts
Explore his academic journey
Muhamed Riyaz Chenganakkattil's research contributes significantly to the understanding of global Muslim networks and historical mobilities. Discover his publications, research interests, and academic presentations on the dedicated pages.
Contact & connect
Department of Languages and CulturesGhent University
Ghent, Belgium
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