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Introduction

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Ottoman High Politics and the Ulema Household

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Abstract

Şeyhülislam Feyzullah Efendi (1638–1703) was the head of the ilmiye (the legal-academic establishment) during the entire reign of Sultan Mustafa II (1695–1703). During this time he amassed extraordinary power and wealth. Feyzullah Efendi was in fact the most dominant figure in politics. It was primarily through the Şeyhülislam that the sultan tried to curb the growing power of households established by viziers and pashas. As the sultan’s beloved mentor, Feyzullah Efendi was granted unprecedented executive power. He was authorized to intervene in the management of state affairs, so much so that the Şeyhülislam also came to dominate the central administration. This situation eventually resulted in his violent demise, a direct consequence of what came to be known in Ottoman history as the “Edirne Incident” (Edirne vakasi).

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Notes

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  1. Ariel University, Israel

    Michael Nizri (Lecturer)

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Nizri, M. (2014). Introduction. In: Ottoman High Politics and the Ulema Household. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137326904_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137326904_1

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-349-46004-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-32690-4

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