Ottoman Empire and Islamic Tradition

by Norman Itzkowitz

This skillfully written text presents the full sweep of Ottoman history from its beginnings on the Byzantine frontier in about 1300, through its development as an empire, to its late eighteenth-century confrontation with a rapidly modernizing Europe. Itzkowitz delineates the fundamental institutions of the Ottoman state, the major divisions within the society, and the basic ideas on government and social structure. Throughout, Itzkowitz emphasizes the Ottomans' own conception of their historical experience, and in so doing penetrates the surface view provided by the insights of Western observers of the Ottoman world to the core of Ottoman existence.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, College, Middle East

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

Reviews

[Kevin Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Itzkowitz can be a bit dense, but packing 700 years of Turkic history into such a small text is no mean feat. Don’t expect to walk away knowing everything about the Ottomans, but do expect to appreciate everything you’d see on a trip to Istanbul.

[Mehak Palijo · Rating 4 out of 5]

love this book, so interesting

[Silviya Yordanova · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s very similar book .

[Neil Farren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting. Particularly, how the Ottoman empire started out as nothing more than a confederation of tribes that expanded west. I also didn't know that it was quite tolerant, and you could practice whatever religion you wanted as long as you paid your taxes.

[Avempace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, written by a distinguished scholar, has the feel of an extended graduate student essay later turned into a short tome on the subject. It represents a summary of the history of the Ottoman Empire through the late 18th century. In that sense, the book is useful as a primer. It's core component is a description of the intellectual response of the Ottoman elites to the decline that affected the empire after the crisis of 1584, and the measures they devised to deliver it out of the slump. However, on the negative side, it does not sufficiently probe the contribution of the Islamic tradition to the Ottoman imperial culture, the subject of the title, except in a very limited way (as in the invocation of Ibn Khaldun by Ottoman elites to explain the decline of the empire to devise a response). It is also marred by judgement statements such as the Ottomans being described as being complacent or lazy. The economic dimension of the state and its role in the decline is also barely touched upon. Overall this book, while addressing a very interesting subject matter and containing useful insights, fails to live up to the promise of its title.

[MIL]

近代的鄂圖曼被國共鄉民認為與近代中國歷程相似
所以對土耳其復興都有濃厚的興趣
兩造都大力強調要從凱莫爾的改革中吸取教訓
不可否認東亞病夫和近東病夫在許多情況上都滿相似的
鄂圖曼保有游牧遺風
國家的精神以軍人為重
行政官僚幾乎都從軍隊出身
沒有從軍的經歷就能力很難被認可
每個宰相總督縣長也都負有軍事義務
除了這些正經書之外，帕穆克的小說也可以看到
那些大官總是有軍事上的頭銜
下文可以更清楚的看到這種觀點
東方帝國對西方的"奇技淫巧"都非常輕視
非得等到不改不行的時候才勉強想要"船堅炮利"
卻想不到船堅炮利只是表象
背後的思想才是重點
所以改革常以失敗收場
但是這本書只寫到鄂圖曼意識到非得從制度上全面改革就停了
書中提到
鄂圖曼奉行公正循環，有八條核心
分別是
1.沒有軍隊就不可能有軍隊的權威
2.沒有財富就不可能有軍隊
3.民眾生產財富
4.蘇丹實行公正統治以管理民眾
5.公正需要世界各國的合諧
6.世界是一個花園，他的牆就是國家
7.國家的支柱是宗教法規
8.沒有皇室的權威，宗教法規就得不到支持
這八條首尾相連形成一個循環
只要做到這些國家就可以永保昌盛
看來挺有邏輯的
但是就跟書裡說的一樣
這種向後看的思想面對啟蒙和工業革命之後的歐洲只會越來越無力
奉行某種意識形態，並認為這樣就是振衰起敝的良方
面對變局向後看
這點鄂圖曼和中國確實有相似之處
但是思想顯而易見有巨大的差別
所以後來改革的手段也就不同了
另外就是鄂圖曼離歐洲很近
壓力很明顯
所以改革的幅度又比中國前進了些
所以我覺得硬要把近代中國和凱莫爾放在一起是件很奇怪的事
可是國共真的都很愛這樣比XD

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview for someone new to the field. The author assumes a certain amount of knowledge of Islam, but gives a great thumb-nail sketch of early Ottoman history and Ottoman adminsitration that assumes nothing more than a general knowledge of history. A glossary of technical terms at the back is helpful. Those interested in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire will find that the book stops short, not even attempting to say much about the period after 1800 or so (by which time, the author would argue, the rot had already set in).

[Bradley Farless · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice overview of the Ottoman empire that presents arguments about the development of the emirate into an empire, and then causes that contemporaneous writers attributed to the empire's decline. It's a quick and fairly easy read.

[Mark Dillon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is packed full of condensed information that gives a good overview of this historical time frame. However its density causes portions of the book to the feeling of chewing on chalk. It is a bit difficult to get through, but it is worth the effort in the end.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite interesting..

[Jonathan Lotton · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you need the basics, in a not-too-difficult to read format it will do the job. However, if you are looking for a more complete history there are better works.

[Hillary Borders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for History of the Middle East

[Lucrezia Gaion · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5