Julien Levesque

Biography

Julien Levesque holds a Ph.D. (2016) in Political Science from Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), Paris. His doctoral research focused on nationalism and identity construction in Sindh after Pakistan’s independence. Before joining CSH, he was Adjunct Associate Professor (ATER) at EHESS. As a researcher at CSH, Julien Levesque focuses on South Asian Islam and Muslims from the perspective of political sociology. More precisely, his project is to study the social and political role of sayyids, the group generally described as the elite among the elite of Muslims in South Asia. Sayyids claim descent from Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and his cousin Ali. Although being sayyid is in principle a hereditary status, some people or families have become sayyid over time. Because sayyids generally stand at the top of the Muslim social hierarchy (whether defined in terms of class or caste), this status offers two advantages – charismatic authority and a network – that confer a leadership role to sayyids. In many instances, being sayyid appears as a resource that can be mobilized in social relations and in the political arena.

Research Interest

Politics and Society