Imperial Meanderings and Republican By-Ways: Essays on Eighteenth Century Ottoman and Twentieth Century History of Turkey
1998; Middle East Institute; Volume: 52; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
1940-3461
Autores Tópico(s)Ottoman Empire History and Society
ResumoTURKEY Imperial Meanderings and Republican By-Ways: Essays on Eighteenth Century Ottoman and Twentieth Century History of Turkey, by Robert Olson. Istanbul: Isis Press, 1996. xv + 332 pages. n.p. Reviewed by Michael M. Gunter Robert Olson-perhaps best known for his study of Kurdish Shaykh Sa`id in in 1925--has long reveled in role of iconoclastic gadfly of orthodox Turkish historiography. The present collection of many of his more prominent, previously published essays illustrates well why he has earned this reputation. When such scholarship is based on sound historical and linguistic foundations, as Olson's work is, it clearly serves valuable heuristic function and is welcome. As with many of his generation, Olson's interest in began when he served there as Peace Corps volunteer during 1960s: I hooked for good. From that time onwards, my meanderings have never ceased (p. xiii). The first seven essays of this volume deal with 18thcentury Ottoman topics, particularly 1730 Patrona Halil and Ottoman-Persian wars that took place between 1730 and 1747. In both cases, he argues that consequences have received attention [they deserve] in eighteenth century Ottoman (p. 61). The Patrona Halil rebellion, for example, led to a realignment of power among 'center', i.e. asakir or military elite, Sultan and his officials and ulema as opposed to 'periphery': reaya or peasants, provincial notables, millets or non-Muslim communities, lower classes of city and petite bourgeoisie of artisans and merchants (p. 62). The OttomanPersian wars of this period provide new insight into origins of Eastern Question. One reason Ottomans could not respond more successfully to Europe was because of Ottoman-Persian wars and sensitive political situation in wake of 1730 Patrona Halil rebellion (p. 66). In another essay, Olson argues that conventional historiography dealing with Young Turk period, especially up to 1912-1913, underestimates role of (p. 111). Regarding US ambassador to Porte, Olson asserts that, rather than being minor post `traditionally relegated to Jews' [as US Ambassador Henry Morgenthau claimed] it seems post in Istanbul one sought after by Jews in order to facilitate Jewish settlement in Palestine (p. 117). Most of essays in second part of this collection deal with various aspects of Kurdish problem. Five of them analyze nuances of Shaykh Sa`id that shook young Turkish Republic shortly after Mustafa Kemal Atatirk created it in 1920s. Olson concludes that profound international consequences [of Shaykh Sa`id rebellion] have been given short schrift [sic] by most scholars. He demonstrates cogently that also had profound implications . . . [for] internal politics of Turkey (p. 199). Although Kurdish issue ofcially dropped off Turkish agenda for half century following defeat of Shaykh Sa`id, the forced to concentrate on internal construction, to expedite secularization and to encourage energetically Turkish nationalism (p. …
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