Useful Enemies

Islam and The Ottoman Empire in Western Political Thought, 1450-1750

Nonfiction, History, Renaissance, Religion & Spirituality
Cover of the book Useful Enemies by Noel Malcolm, OUP Oxford
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Noel Malcolm ISBN: 9780192565815
Publisher: OUP Oxford Publication: May 2, 2019
Imprint: OUP Oxford Language: English
Author: Noel Malcolm
ISBN: 9780192565815
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Publication: May 2, 2019
Imprint: OUP Oxford
Language: English

From the fall of Constantinople in 1453 until the eighteenth century, many Western European writers viewed the Ottoman Empire with almost obsessive interest. Typically they reacted to it with fear and distrust; and such feelings were reinforced by the deep hostility of Western Christendom towards Islam. Yet there was also much curiosity about the social and political system on which the huge power of the sultans was based. In the sixteenth century, especially, when Ottoman territorial expansion was rapid and Ottoman institutions seemed particularly robust, there was even open admiration. In this path-breaking book Noel Malcolm ranges through these vital centuries of East-West interaction, studying all the ways in which thinkers in the West interpreted the Ottoman Empire as a political phenomenon - and Islam as a political religion. Useful Enemies shows how the concept of 'oriental despotism' began as an attempt to turn the tables on a very positive analysis of Ottoman state power, and how, as it developed, it interacted with Western debates about monarchy and government. Noel Malcolm also shows how a negative portrayal of Islam as a religion devised for political purposes was assimilated by radical writers, who extended the criticism to all religions, including Christianity itself. Examining the works of many famous thinkers (including Machiavelli, Bodin, and Montesquieu) and many less well-known ones, Useful Enemies illuminates the long-term development of Western ideas about the Ottomans, and about Islam. Noel Malcolm shows how these ideas became intertwined with internal Western debates about power, religion, society, and war. Discussions of Islam and the Ottoman Empire were thus bound up with mainstream thinking in the West on a wide range of important topics. These Eastern enemies were not just there to be denounced. They were there to be made use of, in arguments which contributed significantly to the development of Western political thought.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

From the fall of Constantinople in 1453 until the eighteenth century, many Western European writers viewed the Ottoman Empire with almost obsessive interest. Typically they reacted to it with fear and distrust; and such feelings were reinforced by the deep hostility of Western Christendom towards Islam. Yet there was also much curiosity about the social and political system on which the huge power of the sultans was based. In the sixteenth century, especially, when Ottoman territorial expansion was rapid and Ottoman institutions seemed particularly robust, there was even open admiration. In this path-breaking book Noel Malcolm ranges through these vital centuries of East-West interaction, studying all the ways in which thinkers in the West interpreted the Ottoman Empire as a political phenomenon - and Islam as a political religion. Useful Enemies shows how the concept of 'oriental despotism' began as an attempt to turn the tables on a very positive analysis of Ottoman state power, and how, as it developed, it interacted with Western debates about monarchy and government. Noel Malcolm also shows how a negative portrayal of Islam as a religion devised for political purposes was assimilated by radical writers, who extended the criticism to all religions, including Christianity itself. Examining the works of many famous thinkers (including Machiavelli, Bodin, and Montesquieu) and many less well-known ones, Useful Enemies illuminates the long-term development of Western ideas about the Ottomans, and about Islam. Noel Malcolm shows how these ideas became intertwined with internal Western debates about power, religion, society, and war. Discussions of Islam and the Ottoman Empire were thus bound up with mainstream thinking in the West on a wide range of important topics. These Eastern enemies were not just there to be denounced. They were there to be made use of, in arguments which contributed significantly to the development of Western political thought.

More books from OUP Oxford

Cover of the book Brierly's Law of Nations by Noel Malcolm
Cover of the book Viva Training in ENT: Preparation for the FRCS (ORL-HNS) by Noel Malcolm
Cover of the book The Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists by Noel Malcolm
Cover of the book Lord Jim by Noel Malcolm
Cover of the book The Histories by Noel Malcolm
Cover of the book Impact of Market Forces on Addictive Substances and Behaviours by Noel Malcolm
Cover of the book Leading Professionals by Noel Malcolm
Cover of the book Rocks: A Very Short Introduction by Noel Malcolm
Cover of the book Emotional Insight by Noel Malcolm
Cover of the book Social Work: A Very Short Introduction by Noel Malcolm
Cover of the book State Aid Law of the European Union by Noel Malcolm
Cover of the book Handbook of Musical Identities by Noel Malcolm
Cover of the book Solving the Internet Jurisdiction Puzzle by Noel Malcolm
Cover of the book The Politics and Governance of Basic Education by Noel Malcolm
Cover of the book Reality: A Very Short Introduction by Noel Malcolm
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy