Empire and Power in the Reign of Süleyman
Narrating the Sixteenth-Century Ottoman World

A revisionist reading of Ottoman history during the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent (1520–66), examining the life of a bureaucrat, Celalzade Mustafa.

Kaya ?ahin (Author)

9781107529885, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 21 May 2015

314 pages, 15 b/w illus. 2 maps
23 x 15 x 2 cm, 0.47 kg

'In narrating Mustafa's views and accounts, ?ahin gives abridged translations in prose rather than quoting long and lofty passages from his works. This not only renders Mustafa's expressions readily understandable and makes it rather readable for the non-specialist, it also transmits the poetic/literary aspect of Mustafa's style and his imagery.' N. Zeynep Yelçe, Canadian Journal of History

Kaya ?ahin's book offers a revisionist reading of Ottoman history during the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent (1520–66). By examining the life and works of a bureaucrat, Celalzade Mustafa, ?ahin argues that the empire was built as part of the Eurasian momentum of empire building and demonstrates the imperial vision of sixteenth-century Ottomans. This unique study shows that, in contrast with many Eurocentric views, the Ottomans were active players in European politics, with an imperial culture in direct competition with that of the Habsburgs and the Safavids. Indeed, this book explains Ottoman empire building with reference to the larger Eurasian context, from Tudor England to Mughal India, contextualizing such issues as state formation, imperial policy and empire building in the period more generally. ?ahin's work also devotes significant attention to the often-ignored religious dimension of the Ottoman-Safavid struggle, showing how the rivalry redefined Sunni and Shiite Islam, laying the foundations for today's religious tensions.

1. The formative years (1490–1523)
2. The secretary's progress (1523–34)
3. The empire and its chancellor (1534–53)
4. Toward the end (1553–67)
5. Narrating the empire: history-writing between imperial advocacy and personal testimony
6. Imagining the empire: the sultan, the realm, the enemies
7. Managing the empire: institutionalization and bureaucratic consciousness.

Subject Areas: Islam [HRH], Early modern history: c 1450/1500 to c 1700 [HBLH], Middle Eastern history [HBJF1]