Books by Stefano Taglia
This book uncovers Young Turk political and social ideas at the end of the nineteenth century, du... more This book uncovers Young Turk political and social ideas at the end of the nineteenth century, during the intellectual phase of the movement.
Analysing the life in exile of two of the most charismatic leaders of the Young Turk movement, Ahmet Rıza and Mehmet Sabahattin, the book unravels their plans for the future of the Ottoman Empire, covering issues of power, religion, citizenship, minority rights, the role of the West, and the accountability of the Sultan. The book follows Rıza and Sabahattin through their association with philosophical circles, and highlights how their emphasis on intellectualism and elitism had a twofold effect. On the one hand, seeing themselves as enlightened and entrusted with a mission, they engaged in enduring debates, leaving an important legacy for both Ottoman and Republican rule. On the other hand, the rigidity resulting from elitism and intellectualism prevented the conception of concrete plans for change, causing a schism at the 1902 Congress of Ottoman Liberals and marking the end of the intellectual phase.
Using bilingual period journals, contemporary accounts, police archives and political and philosophical treaties, this book is of interest to students, scholars and researchers of Middle East and Ottoman History, and Political Science more broadly.
Articles by Stefano Taglia
Die Welt Des Islams, Vol. 56: 3-4 (2016): 438-465, 2016
Caucasus Survey, 2020
This article interrogates Ottoman sources from the period leading up to and following the creatio... more This article interrogates Ottoman sources from the period leading up to and following the creation, in 1918, of the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic (TDFR) to shed light on the reasons behind Istanbul’s initial backing for this Caucasian state. Despite the suggestion that Ottoman Unionist policies were informed by pan-Turkist ideals, it emerges that Istanbul considered, first and foremost, the geopolitical interests of the Empire. Whether this entailed using foreign Muslims to control a strategic area or favouring the creation of a political entity that was not considered fully feasible, Ottoman self-interest was paramount. Controlling the Caucasus, limiting German, British and Russian influence, and re-gaining lost territory were the only considerations that guided Ottoman policies. This explains Ottoman ambivalence in supporting the emergence of the TDFR, as well as Ottoman willingness to pursue further territorial claims which undermined the very existence of the TDFR itself. The conclusions reached in this article have significance for the larger understanding of Ottoman policy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, as too often pan-Turkism and pan-Islamism are used to explain the policies of Istanbul, while the Ottoman political elite was more usually guided by pragmatic considerations.
This article will unpack the intellectual and sociopolitical conditions under which the idea of n... more This article will unpack the intellectual and sociopolitical conditions under which the idea of neo-Ottomanism was formulated, by focusing on the following questions: What is neo-Ottomanism, who constructed the term, and for what purpose? What aspects of the Ottoman legacy have been incorporated in the 'self' definition of a new Turkey? Is this shift temporary or rooted in a more far-reaching transformation of Turkish society that will shape future sociopolitical choices? The article examines the intellectual origins of the term 'neo-Ottomanism' by examining the role of cultural entrepreneurs, such as Yahya Kemal and Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, along with the interactions among social factors, in the search for a new 'old' identity of Ottomanism by reimagining the Ottoman past. It seeks to provide a historical and sociological perspective of the process of reconfiguring the past, and especially its implications in domestic and foreign policy. Due to the oppressive nation-building project of the Kemalist regime, literature, art, music, and poetry became alternative sites for preserving, updating, and reconstructing the Ottoman memory. After explaining the formation of neo-Ottoman discourse in the 1990s, the article will address the debate about the politics of identity under the Justice and Development Party (JDP).
This thematic issue of Die Welt des Islams, volume 56, no. 3/4, features 11 articles (6 historica... more This thematic issue of Die Welt des Islams, volume 56, no. 3/4, features 11 articles (6 historical and 5 contemporary) on the different faces of Ottomanism, in the 19th century, and its (re)interpretation, today.
Chapters in Books by Stefano Taglia
Book Reviews by Stefano Taglia
The English Historical Review 130, no. 547 (2015)
Middle Eastern Studies 51, no. 6 (2015)
Archiv Orientalni/Oriental Archive 83, no. 1 (2015)
Events, Calls for Papers and Workshops by Stefano Taglia
Ottoman History Podcast, 2018
The annual "Identities in the Middle East Workshop," organized and hosted by the Institute of Nea... more The annual "Identities in the Middle East Workshop," organized and hosted by the Institute of Near Eastern and African Studies at Charles University, will be inaugurated with a two-day deliberation on late-Ottoman identities. The aim of the workshop is for participants to gain a profound awareness of the conceptualizations and manifestations of individual, communal, national, and transnational identities in the last century of the Ottoman Empire. Participants are expected to actively engage in discussions generated by a set of common readings. Dates & Venue: 12–13 October 2018, Prague, Czech Republic Content of the Workshop: The first day of the workshop, chaired by Hasan Kayalı, will open with theoretical considerations of identity and belonging and case studies that reveal particular complexities of identity among peoples of the late Empire. The second day's sessions will consider alternative perspectives and will be divided between a session on transnational identities, chaired by Ebru Akcasu, and marginal identities, chaired by Stefano Taglia. The transnational session will evaluate notions of belonging to the Ottoman state from the perspective of foreigners, both Ottomans abroad and non-Ottomans within the dominions. The session on marginals will analyze the relationship between the state and groups engaged in non-conformal behaviors, such as drug addicts, prostitutes, and alcohol drinkers, to reflect on the state's role as service provider and its expectations of individuals as modern citizens. The workshop will conclude by carrying the conversation about identity into the post-Ottoman era and will assess the balance sheet of the (active) dissolution of multi-faceted Ottoman identities in the states that emerged from Ottoman territories. The closing session will be chaired by Hasan Kayalı.
Conference Presentations by Stefano Taglia
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Books by Stefano Taglia
Analysing the life in exile of two of the most charismatic leaders of the Young Turk movement, Ahmet Rıza and Mehmet Sabahattin, the book unravels their plans for the future of the Ottoman Empire, covering issues of power, religion, citizenship, minority rights, the role of the West, and the accountability of the Sultan. The book follows Rıza and Sabahattin through their association with philosophical circles, and highlights how their emphasis on intellectualism and elitism had a twofold effect. On the one hand, seeing themselves as enlightened and entrusted with a mission, they engaged in enduring debates, leaving an important legacy for both Ottoman and Republican rule. On the other hand, the rigidity resulting from elitism and intellectualism prevented the conception of concrete plans for change, causing a schism at the 1902 Congress of Ottoman Liberals and marking the end of the intellectual phase.
Using bilingual period journals, contemporary accounts, police archives and political and philosophical treaties, this book is of interest to students, scholars and researchers of Middle East and Ottoman History, and Political Science more broadly.
Articles by Stefano Taglia
Chapters in Books by Stefano Taglia
Book Reviews by Stefano Taglia
Events, Calls for Papers and Workshops by Stefano Taglia
Conference Presentations by Stefano Taglia
Analysing the life in exile of two of the most charismatic leaders of the Young Turk movement, Ahmet Rıza and Mehmet Sabahattin, the book unravels their plans for the future of the Ottoman Empire, covering issues of power, religion, citizenship, minority rights, the role of the West, and the accountability of the Sultan. The book follows Rıza and Sabahattin through their association with philosophical circles, and highlights how their emphasis on intellectualism and elitism had a twofold effect. On the one hand, seeing themselves as enlightened and entrusted with a mission, they engaged in enduring debates, leaving an important legacy for both Ottoman and Republican rule. On the other hand, the rigidity resulting from elitism and intellectualism prevented the conception of concrete plans for change, causing a schism at the 1902 Congress of Ottoman Liberals and marking the end of the intellectual phase.
Using bilingual period journals, contemporary accounts, police archives and political and philosophical treaties, this book is of interest to students, scholars and researchers of Middle East and Ottoman History, and Political Science more broadly.