The Well-Protected Domains: Ideology and the Legitimation of Power in the Ottoman Empire 1876-1909 [Hardcover]

Selim Deringil (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1860643078 | ISBN-13: 978-1860643071 | Publication Date: January 1998

How did the late Ottoman Empire grapple with the challenge of modernity and survive? Rejecting explanations based on the concept of an "Islamic empire", or the tired paradigm of the "Eastern Question", the author argues that far richer insights can be gained by focusing on imperial ideology and drawing out the striking similarities between the Ottoman and other late legitimist empires like Russia, Austria and Japan. The author traces the Ottoman state's pursuit of legitimation in public ceremonial; in the iconography of buildings, music, the honours system or the language of the chancery; in its proto-nationalist reformulation of Islamic legal practices; in its efforts to inculcate, through an expanded education system; and in the efforts of the Ottoman elite to present a "civilized" image abroad.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...chronicles the desperate struggle of Abdulhamid II to preserve a world that was slipping from under his feet..." -- Journal of Contemporary History

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Selim Deringil is Professor of History at Bogaziçi University, Istanbul.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 260 pages
• Publisher: I B Tauris & Co Ltd (January 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860643078
• ISBN-13: 978-1860643071
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,277,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely important rereading of the Abdulhamit period, April 21, 2006

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tarihci202 "tarihci202" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Well-Protected Domains: Ideology and the Legitimation of Power in the Ottoman Empire, 1876-1909 (Paperback)

Although the volume suffers occasionally from a lack of organization, this currently is probably the best single work on the nature of Ottoman State legitimacy during the reign of Abdulhamit II. Deringil persuasively argues that the Hamidian regime did not represent a simple revival of Islam; rather, borrowing from Hobsbawm's language of "invented traditions," the Hamidian regime represented a fundamental rethinking of Islamic themes, changing their meaning and putting them to new uses as part of a general program of top-down modernization.

Kemal Karpat's Politicization of Islam takes on many of the same themes and is perhaps broader in scope. Unfortunately, Karpat's work is too disjointed and meandering for most readers and the Deringil volume is probably the best choice for the classroom or for those not planning advanced degrees in the subject. Many, of course, will choose to read both volumes, and both have much to offer.