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عرب الإمبراطورية العثمانية: تاريخ ثقافي واجتماعي 1516-1918
في هذا الكتاب، يتتبع المؤلف البروفيسور بروس ماسترز حكم العثمانيين للأراضي العربية لأربعة قرون تمتد من عام 1516 إلى عام 1918، ويقدم فيه مسحاً شاملاً محايداً للأوضاع السياسية والإقتصادية والإجتماعية في الأراضي العربية إبان الحكم العثماني. ويتناول أيضاً طرق إدارة وحكم الامبراطورية العثمانية للأراضي العربية التي بقيت تحت حكمهم لأربعة قرون. يتطرق الكاتب إلى دور رجال الدين في منح الشرعية للسلاطين العثمانيين في حكمهم للولايات العربية، وكذلك يلقي بالضوء على التجرية التاريخية للمسلمين العرب مع الحكم العثماني. ويشير بشكل كبير إلى الصراعات الطائفية والثورات وأعمال التمرد التي عصفت بالمنطقة العربية خلال فترة حكم العثمانيين وطرق تعامل العثمانيين معها بالقمع مرات أو بالحلول التوفيقية مرات أخرى. يناقش الكتاب أيضاً قضية السلطنة والخلافة.
إن هذا الكتاب يمكن أن يكون مصدراً مهماً ومرجعاً تاريخياً ذا فائدة كبيرة للباحثين والدارسين لتاريخ العرب وعلاقتهم بالدولة العثمانية، وذلك لاعتماده على كم هائل من المصادر التاريخية المعتبرة العربية والتركية الموثوقة في تتبع مجريات الأحداث وتفاصيلها الدقيقة، وكذلك لحياديته في طرح الأمور والأحداث وتسمية الأشياء بمسمياتها بعيداً عن الانحياز لجهة على حساب جهة أخرى. وقد بذل المترجم جهداً كبيراً في ترجمته من خلال تتبع التسميات التركية للكثير من الإجراءات والمسميات التي كانت شائعة آنذاك والتي لم تعد مستخدمة في عصرنا الحديث.
إن هذا الكتاب يمكن أن يكون مصدراً مهماً ومرجعاً تاريخياً ذا فائدة كبيرة للباحثين والدارسين لتاريخ العرب وعلاقتهم بالدولة العثمانية، وذلك لاعتماده على كم هائل من المصادر التاريخية المعتبرة العربية والتركية الموثوقة في تتبع مجريات الأحداث وتفاصيلها الدقيقة، وكذلك لحياديته في طرح الأمور والأحداث وتسمية الأشياء بمسمياتها بعيداً عن الانحياز لجهة على حساب جهة أخرى. وقد بذل المترجم جهداً كبيراً في ترجمته من خلال تتبع التسميات التركية للكثير من الإجراءات والمسميات التي كانت شائعة آنذاك والتي لم تعد مستخدمة في عصرنا الحديث.
- GenresHistoryMiddle East
343 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
6 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 24, 2014
In The Arabs of the Ottoman Empire, Bruce Masters contends that his eponymous subjects were not unwilling servants of the Ottoman state, but rather “collaborators in the imperial project”. So long as the central government fulfilled its religious obligations, the Arabs were content with Ottoman rule and in fact had an economic interest in its long-term survival. He also argues that the Arabs were not politically or economically distinct from the rest of the empire, although they did provide a unique cultural contribution. When the Ottoman regime came to an end, he suggests, most Arabs did not actively further that end, but also did little to stop it.
Masters’ narrative begins with a study of how the earliest Ottoman conquerors of the Arab lands negotiated the needs and appropriated the practices of the provinces to legitimize their rule and ensure order and the regular payment of taxes. Their strategy was to portray themselves as guardians of Islam through a variety of different tactics, such as connecting the empire’s founder, Osman I, to the line of Muhammad and the refurbishment of the tomb of the revered Sufi Ibn Arabi. The institutions that they established during this period allowed future sultans to maintain some semblance of control over the Arab lands during regional struggles for autonomy, which by the end of the 18th century had brought chaos to the political scene of the provinces. The strength of these institutions, and the lack of any truly viable alternatives, kept the Arabs as part of the empire for over a century longer. Through an outline of the numerous groups who vied for power, Masters highlights the ultimate result of these struggles, which was that the Arabs gained more political power than they had had since the Umayyad dynasty, and thus they supported the empire’s structure regardless of their personal ambitions.
Masters continues his chronicle with an examination of the important economic features of Ottoman rule in Arab lands, as well as of its religious life. He then highlights the tumult caused by Napoleon’s 1798 invasion of Egypt, wherein the Arabs were defeated at the hands of the Europeans for the first time. These changes were concurrent with growing dissent and demands for regional autonomy, although the author is careful to note that rebellions were usually aimed at removing particular local officials, not separating from the control of the central government as a whole. The crisis reached a head with Muhammad Ali’s of Egypt’s occupation of Syria, which, after he was forced out in 1840, led to a series of changes in the way in which the Ottomans governed the region. Most notably, there was a new emphasis on local advisory councils and a unified military command. Masters concludes his work by outlining important changes made during the Tanzimat era, as well as subsequent European encroachment and the eventual dissolution of the empire.
Masters’ chronicle is an excellent summary of the most important political, societal, and economic developments in the Arab provinces over the course of Ottoman domination. While his survey is necessarily broad, it hits upon several different layers of society and provides a fresh perspective on the transformations that affected the region. Although his narrative sometimes fails to engage the reader and can be dry at certain junctures, the dearth of scholarly materials that deal directly with the Arab lands as distinct from the imperial center makes this work one that is not to be missed by any scholar of the Middle East.
Masters’ narrative begins with a study of how the earliest Ottoman conquerors of the Arab lands negotiated the needs and appropriated the practices of the provinces to legitimize their rule and ensure order and the regular payment of taxes. Their strategy was to portray themselves as guardians of Islam through a variety of different tactics, such as connecting the empire’s founder, Osman I, to the line of Muhammad and the refurbishment of the tomb of the revered Sufi Ibn Arabi. The institutions that they established during this period allowed future sultans to maintain some semblance of control over the Arab lands during regional struggles for autonomy, which by the end of the 18th century had brought chaos to the political scene of the provinces. The strength of these institutions, and the lack of any truly viable alternatives, kept the Arabs as part of the empire for over a century longer. Through an outline of the numerous groups who vied for power, Masters highlights the ultimate result of these struggles, which was that the Arabs gained more political power than they had had since the Umayyad dynasty, and thus they supported the empire’s structure regardless of their personal ambitions.
Masters continues his chronicle with an examination of the important economic features of Ottoman rule in Arab lands, as well as of its religious life. He then highlights the tumult caused by Napoleon’s 1798 invasion of Egypt, wherein the Arabs were defeated at the hands of the Europeans for the first time. These changes were concurrent with growing dissent and demands for regional autonomy, although the author is careful to note that rebellions were usually aimed at removing particular local officials, not separating from the control of the central government as a whole. The crisis reached a head with Muhammad Ali’s of Egypt’s occupation of Syria, which, after he was forced out in 1840, led to a series of changes in the way in which the Ottomans governed the region. Most notably, there was a new emphasis on local advisory councils and a unified military command. Masters concludes his work by outlining important changes made during the Tanzimat era, as well as subsequent European encroachment and the eventual dissolution of the empire.
Masters’ chronicle is an excellent summary of the most important political, societal, and economic developments in the Arab provinces over the course of Ottoman domination. While his survey is necessarily broad, it hits upon several different layers of society and provides a fresh perspective on the transformations that affected the region. Although his narrative sometimes fails to engage the reader and can be dry at certain junctures, the dearth of scholarly materials that deal directly with the Arab lands as distinct from the imperial center makes this work one that is not to be missed by any scholar of the Middle East.
August 12, 2020
تخطيت ثلاثة أرباع الكتاب ولا أظن اني سأكمله. ترجمته بائسة ولم يقم بها مترجم واحد، ولم يستقصى أسماء أعلام المؤرخين الذين فيها ويضع اسم المكان بترجمة شكل وفي موضع آخر بترجمة شكل.
وإن كان بشكل عام الكتاب جيد.
وإن كان بشكل عام الكتاب جيد.
August 29, 2018
Master's Class
A first rate examination of Ottoman governance that adds much towards understanding the historical record of this part of the world. Masters presents a loosely federated Empire held together by franchises of tax farming, a Turkish trained judiciary. Whereas the Mamluks who ruled previously gave equal weight to the 4 schools of Islamic religious law, the Ottomans privileged the Hanafi, which did not affect regional preferences for the Maliki, Shi'i or Hanbali. Corruption not a problem as long as order was kept and often local warlords were co-opted for that purpose.
The conquest of Arab lands from by the Ottomans from the Mamluks, who also originated from Turkey and the southern steps of Russia took place over a short period of time from 1516 to 1523, and started to dissolve 250 years later with Napoleon's short lived invasion of Egypt. The Mamluks themselves, former slaves and their descendants, numbering in the thousands, were considered impious and allied themselves with the heretical Shias of Iran. The Ottomans themselves were Sunni and the shared sectarian religious affiliation was more significant than regional or linguistic markers.
The book has several good sub discussions, especially Ch 4 which looks at Sufism through al-Arabi and is interpreters. The rise of a Christian and Jewish merchant class in the 18th century is adequately summarized, though for more detail the reader should pick up an e and earlier book by the same author. Another is the thread that goes through the book that suggests that Arab Nationalism was a late arrival that only came about in the 20th century when the CUP made the mistake of emphasizing the Turkish identity of the remaining empire. At the end of empire the reasons for allegiance to the centre no longer applied.
However the most outstanding feature of the book is Masters' enumeration of the various causes that in combination led to the decline in population and political importance of the Levant starting in the late 1600s, and often recounted by Western travellers in the region and tax records showing regional consolidation. European shipping in the Americas, India and the far east reduced the need for goods provided by Ottoman middlemen making the old trade routes less viable. Climate change due to the "Little Ice Age" reduced agricultural output so that people moved to the major cities which proved to be a death trap due to unsanitary conditions and contagious diseases. Bedouin raiders added to the insecurity of rural and village life further accelerating the flow to safer large cities, or alternatively people would turn to raiding themselves by joining the nomadic clans.
It's not a book for casual perusal as the writing can be a bit dry and the amount of information is unrelenting. Its the sort of book that should be read in its entirety to get the whole picture rather that picking out fragments, but ultimately it's very rewarding and a useful addition to the shelf, the sort of book you can go back to later and get more out of.
Highly Recommended.
A first rate examination of Ottoman governance that adds much towards understanding the historical record of this part of the world. Masters presents a loosely federated Empire held together by franchises of tax farming, a Turkish trained judiciary. Whereas the Mamluks who ruled previously gave equal weight to the 4 schools of Islamic religious law, the Ottomans privileged the Hanafi, which did not affect regional preferences for the Maliki, Shi'i or Hanbali. Corruption not a problem as long as order was kept and often local warlords were co-opted for that purpose.
The conquest of Arab lands from by the Ottomans from the Mamluks, who also originated from Turkey and the southern steps of Russia took place over a short period of time from 1516 to 1523, and started to dissolve 250 years later with Napoleon's short lived invasion of Egypt. The Mamluks themselves, former slaves and their descendants, numbering in the thousands, were considered impious and allied themselves with the heretical Shias of Iran. The Ottomans themselves were Sunni and the shared sectarian religious affiliation was more significant than regional or linguistic markers.
The book has several good sub discussions, especially Ch 4 which looks at Sufism through al-Arabi and is interpreters. The rise of a Christian and Jewish merchant class in the 18th century is adequately summarized, though for more detail the reader should pick up an e and earlier book by the same author. Another is the thread that goes through the book that suggests that Arab Nationalism was a late arrival that only came about in the 20th century when the CUP made the mistake of emphasizing the Turkish identity of the remaining empire. At the end of empire the reasons for allegiance to the centre no longer applied.
However the most outstanding feature of the book is Masters' enumeration of the various causes that in combination led to the decline in population and political importance of the Levant starting in the late 1600s, and often recounted by Western travellers in the region and tax records showing regional consolidation. European shipping in the Americas, India and the far east reduced the need for goods provided by Ottoman middlemen making the old trade routes less viable. Climate change due to the "Little Ice Age" reduced agricultural output so that people moved to the major cities which proved to be a death trap due to unsanitary conditions and contagious diseases. Bedouin raiders added to the insecurity of rural and village life further accelerating the flow to safer large cities, or alternatively people would turn to raiding themselves by joining the nomadic clans.
It's not a book for casual perusal as the writing can be a bit dry and the amount of information is unrelenting. Its the sort of book that should be read in its entirety to get the whole picture rather that picking out fragments, but ultimately it's very rewarding and a useful addition to the shelf, the sort of book you can go back to later and get more out of.
Highly Recommended.
November 20, 2019
Kitabı okurken şunu farkettim: Osmanlı'nın tarihi dönemlendirmesi yapılırken şu sıralama izlenmelidir: 1 - Bizans'tan Türkiye'ye (1071-1453)
2 - Bir Dünya gücü olarak Osmanlı İmparatorluğu (1453-1603)
3 - Geç Osmanlı İmparatorluğu (1603-1839)
4 - Modern Dünyada Türkiye (1839-Günümüz)
Bunun yanında gözüme çarpan birkaç bilgi ise şunlar:
- Osmanlı elitinin Irak'a karşı kayıtsızlığı Suriye'deki durumla tam bir karşıtlık içindeydi. Osmanlı seçkinleri Irak'ı değil, Suriye'yi gelecek nesillere hatıra kalsın diye umumi binalar inşa etmek için uygun bir yer olarak gördüler. Irak 19. yüzyılın ikinci yarısına kadar Osmanlı'nın öncelikler listesinde alt sıralarda kaldı. (s.48)
- Pax Ottomana 16. yüzyılda Fırat'ın iki yakasını birleştirdi.
- Kavalalı Mehmet Ali Paşa 1818'de Vahabi isyanının bastırılmasında ve 1825'de Yunan ayaklanmasının bastırılmasında Osmanlı'ya yardım etti.
- 1516-1798 arası Osmanlı'nın Arap toprakları üzerindeki kontrolü sağlamdı.
2 - Bir Dünya gücü olarak Osmanlı İmparatorluğu (1453-1603)
3 - Geç Osmanlı İmparatorluğu (1603-1839)
4 - Modern Dünyada Türkiye (1839-Günümüz)
Bunun yanında gözüme çarpan birkaç bilgi ise şunlar:
- Osmanlı elitinin Irak'a karşı kayıtsızlığı Suriye'deki durumla tam bir karşıtlık içindeydi. Osmanlı seçkinleri Irak'ı değil, Suriye'yi gelecek nesillere hatıra kalsın diye umumi binalar inşa etmek için uygun bir yer olarak gördüler. Irak 19. yüzyılın ikinci yarısına kadar Osmanlı'nın öncelikler listesinde alt sıralarda kaldı. (s.48)
- Pax Ottomana 16. yüzyılda Fırat'ın iki yakasını birleştirdi.
- Kavalalı Mehmet Ali Paşa 1818'de Vahabi isyanının bastırılmasında ve 1825'de Yunan ayaklanmasının bastırılmasında Osmanlı'ya yardım etti.
- 1516-1798 arası Osmanlı'nın Arap toprakları üzerindeki kontrolü sağlamdı.
September 16, 2024
The book explains the love hatred relationshiop between the arabs and ottomans. From the rise of the superpower till the end of the sick man of Europe. It explains pretty well the secterian clashes within the arab world during the time of Tanzimat. A side topic is the rise of modernity in the arab world and how it affected the arab world.
July 12, 2021
Useful guide for Arabia under Ottoman ruling
March 30, 2020
Alanında kaynak kitaplardan biridir. Hasan Kayalı'nın kitabıyla beraber okudum. Bu devir ve konu Türkiye'de maalesef çok az çalışılmıştır.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews