| Popis: |
This dissertation explores the Sunni-Shi`ite divergence in the early modern period, not merely as religiously derived, but as a meticulously carried out geo-political battle that formed the base of the sectarian conflict in the region today. One of the few studies to utilize both Safavid and Ottoman primary sources within the framework of identity formation and propaganda, my study argues that the “religious dichotomy” between “Ottoman Sunnism” and “Safavid Shi`ism” was a product of the Safavid-Ottoman geo-political and fiscal rivalry rather than its cause; it further holds that examining the Shiitization of Safavid Iran and Ottoman Anatolia within a larger geo-political framework is critical to understanding early modern Middle Eastern states and societies. At the time, the Shi`ite population of Anatolia – called Kizilbas (“red heads” in Turkish) – constituted the largest Muslim minority group in the Ottoman Empire and was the principal catalyst for conflict between the Ottoman and Safavid empires. Yet it was only after the politicization of the Safaviyya Sufi movement that Istanbul perceived its Kizilbas subjects as a threat to its geo-political legitimacy and security in the volatile regions of central and eastern Anatolia, as well as the frontier regions of Iraq. The Ottoman central authority therefore shifted its attention to pro-Safavid propaganda activities in Anatolia, which were conducted not only to recruit new followers for the Shi`ite Islam, but also to find soldiers and taxpayers for the newly established Safavid state. Breaking away from traditional sectarian narratives, this dissertation examines the wildly varying policies of the Ottoman state toward its Kizilbas subjects and the importance of pro-Safavid religious and political propaganda in the context of state and identity formation and confessionalization. |
