Disenchanting the Caliphate: The Secular Discipline of Power in Abbasid Political Thought

Hayrettin Yücesoy offers a groundbreaking new account of political discourse in Islamic history by examining Abbasid imperial practice, illuminating the emergence and influence of a vibrant secular tradition. The political thought of Muslim societies is all too often defined in religious terms, in which the writings of clerics are seen as representative and ideas about governance are treated as an extension of commentary on sacred texts. Disenchanting the Caliphate offers a groundbreaking new account of political discourse in Islamic history by examining Abbasid imperial practice, illuminating the emergence and influence of a vibrant secular tradition. Closely reading key eighth-century texts, Hayrettin Yücesoy argues that the ulema's discourse of religious governance and the political thought of lay intellectuals diverged during this foundational period, with enduring consequences. He traces how notions of good governance and reflections on prudent statecraft arose among cosmopolitan literati who envisioned governing as an art. Competent in nonreligious branches of knowledge and trained in administrative professions, these belletrists articulated and defended secular political practices, reimagining the caliphal realm as politically constituted rather than natural. They sought to improve administrative efficiency and bolster state control for an empire made up of diverse cultures. Their ideas about moral cultivation, temporal reasoning, and governmental rationality endured for centuries as a counterpoint to religious rulership. Drawing on this history, Yücesoy critiques the concept of "Islamic political thought," calling for decolonizing debates about "secular" and "religious" politics. Theoretically rich and historically grounded, Disenchanting the Caliphate is an insightful and provocative reconsideration of key strands of political discourse in the intellectual history of Muslim societies. The political thought of Muslim societies is all too often definedin religious terms, in which the writings of clerics are seen asrepresentative and ideas about governance are treated as anextension of commentary on sacred texts. Disenchanting theCaliphate offers a groundbreaking new account of politicaldiscourse in Islamic history by examining Abbasid imperialpractice, illuminating the emergence and influence of a vibrantsecular tradition. Closely reading key eighth-century texts,Hayrettin Yücesoy argues that the ulema's discourse of religiousgovernance and the political thought of lay intellectuals divergedduring this foundational period, with enduring consequences. Hetraces how notions of good governance and reflections on prudentstatecraft arose among cosmopolitan literati who envisionedgoverning as an art. Competent in nonreligious branches ofknowledge and trained in administrative professions, thesebelletrists articulated and defended secular political practices,reimagining the caliphal realm as politically constituted ratherthan natural. They sought to improve administrative efficiency andbolster state control for an empire made up of diverse cultures.Their ideas about moral cultivation, temporal reasoning, andgovernmental rationality endured for centuries as a counterpoint toreligious rulership. Drawing on this history, Yücesoy critiques theconcept of "Islamic political thought," calling for decolonizingdebates about "secular" and "religious" politics. Theoreticallyrich and historically grounded, Disenchanting theCaliphate is an insightful and provocative reconsideration ofkey strands of political discourse in the intellectual history ofMuslim societies