Access the full text.
Sign up today, get DeepDyve free for 14 days.
Loading next page...
/lp/brill/fetva-diplomacy-the-ottoman-eyh-lislam-as-trans-imperial-intermediary-msdDRv5Rh4
References
References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.
- Publisher
- Brill
- Copyright
- © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
- ISSN
- 1385-3783
- eISSN
- 1570-0658
- DOI
- 10.1163/15700658-12342457
- Publisher site
- See Article on Publisher Site
Abstract
This article explores the role of the şeyhülislam , the mufti of Istanbul and the head of the Ottoman religious-legal hierarchy, as a diplomatic intermediary and introduces the concept of “ fetva diplomacy.” Anyone of any confession could request a fetva (Arabic: fatwa ), a non-binding legal opinion, from the şeyhülislam . From the late sixteenth century, this openness to all comers led foreign powers’ representatives to cultivate close ties with the şeyhülislam , often seeking his intercession and his fetva s to support their interests. Examining the diplomatic aftermath of a 1624 corsair raid on Venetian territories, this essay shows how fetva diplomacy worked in practice and how the legitimacy and religious bona fides of the şeyhülislam were harnessed to give Islamic legal sanction to pragmatic political and diplomatic decisions.
Journal
Journal of Early Modern History – Brill
Published: Apr 21, 2015
Keywords: Ottoman Empire; Venice; Mediterranean; early modern; diplomacy; piracy; mufti; fatwa