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" Heresy and Legitimacy in the Ottoman Empire in the Sixteenth Century "
Ustun, Ismail Safa
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Latin Dissertation
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| Record Number
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1097070
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TLets496966
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| Main Entry
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Ustun, Ismail Safa
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| Title & Author
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Heresy and Legitimacy in the Ottoman Empire in the Sixteenth Century\ Ustun, Ismail Safa
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| College
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The University of Manchester
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| Date
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2009
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2009
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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| Abstract
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Before the 16th century, Ottoman claims tolegitimacy went through several such stages asassociating with dervises called abdals, being Warriorsof the Faith, being the legal heirs to the Selcuks, beingdescendants of Kayi, the story of Edebali's dreamforetelling the future ascendancy of the dynasty. In the16th century, however, there was a marked shift towardsfinding a justification for Ottoman rule in canonicalIslamic sources, as a result of, not only the intellectualdominance of the ulema', but also politicaldevelopments. The propaganda of the "heterodox" Safawidsafter c. 1502 required an "orthodox" counter propaganda;and the conquest of the Mamluks and the acquisition ofMecca and Medina in 1511-17, led the Ottomans to claimsupremecy among Islamic rulers.The new legitimacy argument was that the Ottomanswere leaders and defenders of the ahl al-sunna. TheOttoman ulema' supported and formulated this claim.They issued fetvas against the Safawids, rawing theirarguments from sharti texts, and declaring the Safawidsto be enemies within Islam. In these fetvas, a cleardefinition of heresy -and of heretical enemy- was notfully developed.Alongside external enemies, the Ottomans alsoperceived the existence of internal enemies to their rulefrom the beginning of the 16th century, encouragedparticularly by the dynasty's need to present itself asdefenders of orthodoxy against the Safawids. TheMelametiyye are an example of a group opposed to Ottomanrule. Individuals such as Molla Kabiz and Karamanli seyhwere certainly perceived by the Ottoman authorities asthreats to their own legitimacy. The Ottoman authorities,however, faced difficulties in dealing with "heretics"since they had not yet formulated an adequate definitionof what "heresy" was.Kemal Paqazade's judicial definition of the termzindik through his risäla on zandaka was a major step increating the legal instruments to oppose heresy. Heclearly adopted the concept from fukahä' of the 11th-12thcenturies who had used it against the Ismä ills andBä inis of their own day. The risäla also had a role inclaims to legitimacy as representative and protectors ofsunni Islam.Together with the risäla on zandaka, Kemal Pagazade,as a result of Molla Kabiz case, produced another risälaon sabb al-Nab! which also serves to define hereticalenemy of the Ottoman dynasty. In his fatwä against al-Rawäfi , he deals with the offence of cursing theCompanions and indicates that the offence meritedexecution. The inspiration for this view was clearly theOttoman's need to justify action against Kizilbas.
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The University of Manchester
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