Empire and Power in the Reign of Süleyman: Narrating the Sixteenth-Century Ottoman World (Cambridge Studies in Islamic Civilization)

Kaya Şahin's Book Offers A Revisionist Reading Of Ottoman History During The Reign Of Süleyman The Magnificent (1520–1566). By Examining The Life And Works Of A Bureaucrat, Celalzade Mustafa, Şahin Moves Beyond Traditional, Teleological Approaches And 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. Şahin'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-- Back Cover. Introduction: Revisiting Celalzade Mustafa ; Ottoman Empire Building And Early Modern Eurasia -- -- Part One. Celalzade Mustafa And The New Ottoman Empire In Early Modern Eurasia: The Formative Years (1490-1523) ; The Secretary's Progress (1523-1534) ; The Empire And Its Chancellor (1534-1553) ; Toward The End (1553-1567) -- Part Two. Narrating, Imagining, And Managing The Empire: Narrating The Empire : History-writing Between Imperial Advocacy And Personal Testimony ; Imagining The Empire : The Sultan, The Realm, The Enemies ; Managing The Empire : Institutionalization And Bureaucratic Consciousness -- Conclusion: Beyond Ottoman And European Exceptionalism: Empire And Power In Sixteenth-century Eurasia. Kaya Şahin, Indiana University. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 253-280) And Index. Cover 1 Title page 7 Copyright page 8 Contents 9 Figures and Maps 13 Acknowledgments 15 Abbreviations, Transliteration, Dates, and Pronunciation 19 Introduction 25 Revisiting Celalzade Mustafa 25 Ottoman Empire Building and Early Modern Eurasia 30 Part One Celalzade Mustafa and the New Ottoman Empire in Early Modern Eurasia 37 1 The Formative Years (1490-1523) 39 Entering the Ottoman Ruling Elite 39 The Education of a Muslim Boy 43 The World that Selim Made: The Ottomans Join Early Modern Eurasia 47 A Wise Career Choice at a Favorable Moment 52 The Perils of the Sultanate: Süleyman Comes to Power 57 Süleyman Proves Himself: The Capture of Rhodes 65 Reshuffling at the Top: brahim Becomes Grand Vizier 69 2 The Secretarys Progress (1523-1534) 73 Presenting the Sultan and the Grand Vizier to the Ottoman Public 73 An Ottoman Grand Vizier in Action: The Egyptian Inspection 77 The Downfall of the Hungarian Kingdom 83 A Clash of Political Theologies: Rebellions in Anatolia and a Heresy Trial in Istanbul 92 Who Is the “Master of the Auspicious Conjunction”? Süleyman versus Ferdinand of Austria 98 Who Is the Last Roman Emperor? Süleyman versus Charles V 105 3 The Empire and Its Chancellor (1534-1553) 112 Süleymans First Eastern Campaign: Sunni Triumphalism versus Logistical Problems 113 A Grand Vizier Dies, a Chancellor Rises 124 Filling brahims Void: New Ventures on the European Front 127 The Hungarian Question Comes Back with a Vengeance 133 The Safavid Question Reemerges: The Alqas Mirza Affair 140 4 Toward the End (1553-1567) 147 A Princely Demise: The Execution of Prince Mustafa 148 Toward the First Ottoman-Safavid Settlement: A War of Letters 151 The Amasya Settlement: Mutual Recognition or War Weariness? 155 Mustafas Last Years in Ottoman Service 160 The Construction of the Süleymaniye Mosque: The Epitome of Ottoman Imperial Sunnism 163 The End of the Süleymanic Era 170 From Bureaucrat to Historian and Moralist: Mustafa in Retirement 173 Part Two Narrating, Imagining, and Managing the Empire 179 5 Narrating the Empire 181 Ottoman Historiography in the Sixteenth Century: Tropes and Trends 185 Introducing Tabakat 190 Writing and Reading Tabakat 194 The First Objective: In Praise of Süleyman 196 The Second Objective: The Empire as System 197 The Third Objective: History as Personal Testimony 199 An Unfinished or Interminable Work? 201 Reassessing Selim: Selimname as Mustafas Final Testimony 202 Selimname as Political Intervention 206 Selimname, Memory, Nostalgia 207 6 Imagining the Empire 210 Changing Images of Süleyman: From Messianic Conqueror to Pious Lawmaker 211 A New Realm for a New Empire 217 The Others of the Empire 222 The Mamluks of Egypt: The Anti-Ottomans? 224 The Christians of Europe: Between Prejudice and Pragmatism 227 The Safavids: The Power of Intra-Islamic Controversies 229 7 Managing the Empire 238 New Men in Ottoman Service: The Rise of the Secretaries 239 An Office to Manage the Empire: The Rise of the Chancellor 244 Mustafa as a Political Writer and Moralist 254 Reason (al) as a Key to Success and a Tool for Criticism 257 The Pen, the Secretary, and the Sultan: Toward an Ideology of Service 262 Conclusion 267 Beyond Ottoman and European Exceptionalism: Empire and Power in Sixteenth-Century Eurasia 267 Bibliography 277 Index 305 Kaya ahin's book offers a revisionist reading of Ottoman history during the reign of Suleyman the Magnificent (1520 1566). By examining the life and works of a bureaucrat, Celalzade Mustafa, ahin moves beyond traditional, teleological approaches and 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. "On a torrid August day in 2009, I visited Celalzade Mustafa's final resting place in Istanbul's Eyüp district, in a neighborhood called Nisanca. The chancellor (nisanci) is buried in the cemetery adjoining the small mosque built for him by Sinan, the chief imperial architect. His brother Salih, a teacher, judge and religious scholar, is buried nearby, but the sepulchres of poets who received plots from this patron of poetry have disappeared. The mosque, adorned with glazed tiles, has changed significantly since the mid-sixteenth century. It was damaged in a fire in 1729, and was rebuilt following a more devastating fire in 1780. The mansion where Mustafa composed his works, welcomed fellow literati, and provided advice to young and aspiring secretaries is long gone, probably destroyed in the fire of 1780, if not before"--Provided by publisher