A History of the ‘Alawis: From Medieval Aleppo to the Turkish Republic

by Stefan Winter

The ‘Alawis, or Alawites, are a prominent religious minority in northern Syria, Lebanon, and southern Turkey, best known today for enjoying disproportionate political power in war-torn Syria. In this book, Stefan Winter offers a complete history of the community, from the birth of the ‘Alawi (Nusayri) sect in the tenth century to just after World War I, the establishment of the French mandate over Syria, and the early years of the Turkish republic. Winter draws on a wealth of Ottoman archival records and other sources to show that the ‘Alawis were not historically persecuted as is often claimed, but rather were a fundamental part of Syrian and Turkish provincial society.

Winter argues that far from being excluded on the basis of their religion, the ‘Alawis were in fact fully integrated into the provincial administrative order. Profiting from the economic development of the coastal highlands, particularly in the Ottoman period, they fostered a new class of local notables and tribal leaders, participated in the modernizing educational, political, and military reforms of the nineteenth century, and expanded their area of settlement beyond its traditional mountain borders to emerge from centuries of Sunni imperial rule as a bona fide sectarian community.

Using an impressive array of primary materials spanning nearly ten centuries, A History of the ‘Alawis provides a crucial new narrative about the development of ‘Alawi society.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Middle East

328 pages, Hardcover

Published October 4, 2016

Reviews

[Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The time range is wide so I have definitely benefited from Winter’s research. I can comment from historical point of view on some Turkey-Middle East political issues based on this book. I would recommend it to a friend but I am not sure if it can be a base for ‘Alawi-history knowledge. It feels like a supplement book.

[Brian M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative but flawed

Very informative as far as the sociopolitical development of the Alawi yet Winter takes his revisionist thesis too far and is less than convincing. For instance, he references the famous fatwa of Ibn Tamiyya declaring Alawis to be kafirs. But in his desire to make his case pretends the opinion is more isolated than it was. He makes no mention that AlGhazali concurred, and thus added great weight to the fatwa.

[Josh]

One of the most boring books I have read. This was for one of my research projects, so I skimmed sections of it.

[Rosemary Berry]

Why can't I buy a copy? Is your website just for reviews ?

[Osman Tümay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A satisfactory study of an interesting and overlooked topic; a must read to understand today’s developments of the region.

[Mark Latchford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched but rather dense and academic in writing style. Written as if a university thesis with clear points of view and/or argument, those with only a casual interest in the subject or more general history or politics will find this a little heavy going. The second half is much more readable than the first.