Turkey’s Ottoman: Era-Octopus Like Linkages

Though I have only skim read the article to date it seems quite good; indeed OIL is a alredy and will remain the single most important reason behind geopolitical maneuverings and events (incl. the so called War on Terror) as the energy of the industrialised world depends so much on it. Zbigniew Brszenski (?), a former NSA to the US President has written a whole book on it and this current white house is just putting into place well formed plans to take geostrategic control of the Central Asian oilfields.

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The Ottoman`s were a great civilisation and the glory of the Islamic world--may Allah hasten their return! Ameen.

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The book Harem you mention isn`t particularly accurate nor neutral. But yes your point about Circassian concubines being highly prized was true. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent`s wife was a former Russian Christian slave girl called, I think, Roxanne but she rose to become his beloved wife and Queen and thus the second most powerful person in the caliphate. The Janissaries were also all former Christian slaves--yet the most loyal of all the Sultan`s troops and the world`s elitest fighting force! The Ottoman`s had a brilliant system and civilisation.

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Ataturk -la`anat Allah alayhim--the apostate, ruined 700 years of history by attempting to separate a people from their religion, history and culture with his anti-Islamic rulings.
He failed. The Turkish people still remain deeply religious and Islam is central to their lives except for a tiny secularised elite. Best of all they have a highly developed infrastructure, a learned and educated populace and are all Hanafis with a deep vein of Sufism in them so that most serious Islamic scholars expect the next Islamic State to be again in Turkey just as the House of Osman was the last real Islamic State. A

Though I have only skim read the article to date it seems quite good; indeed OIL is a alredy and will remain the single most important reason behind geopolitical maneuverings and events (incl. the so called War on Terror) as the energy of the industrialised world depends so much on it. Zbigniew Brszenski (?), a former NSA to the US President has written a whole book on it and this current white house is just putting into place well formed plans to take geostrategic control of the Central Asian oilfields.

**
The Ottoman`s were a great civilisation and the glory of the Islamic world--may Allah hasten their return! Ameen.

**
The book Harem you mention isn`t particularly accurate nor neutral. But yes your point about Circassian concubines being highly prized was true. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent`s wife was a former Russian Christian slave girl called, I think, Roxanne but she rose to become his beloved wife and Queen and thus the second most powerful person in the caliphate. The Janissaries were also all former Christian slaves--yet the most loyal of all the Sultan`s troops and the world`s elitest fighting force! The Ottoman`s had a brilliant system and civilisation.

**
Ataturk -la`anat Allah alayhim--the apostate, ruined 700 years of history by attempting to separate a people from their religion, history and culture with his anti-Islamic rulings.
He failed. The Turkish people still remain deeply religious and Islam is central to their lives except for a tiny secularised elite. Best of all they have a highly developed infrastructure, a learned and educated populace and are all Hanafis with a deep vein of Sufism in them so that most serious Islamic scholars expect the next Islamic State to be again in Turkey just as the House of Osman was the last real Islamic State. A

A book and the aftermath
katatonik, 01/08/04/22:01:14- category: borderless confusion - permalink
``Angry Hindu activists ransacked India`s prestigious Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute on Monday, tearing pages out of rare Sanskrit manuscripts, breaking windows, and smashing equipment. The protesters attacked the institute because it had given research assistance to an American professor whose recent book questions the history of a revered 17th-century Hindu king.

According to the police in Pune, a city about 75 miles southeast of Bombay where the institute is located, more than 150 Hindu hardliners armed with chains and wooden bats pushed their way into the research center as its staff opened the doors on Monday morning. Witnesses said the assailants -- from the little-known ``Sambhaji Brigade,`` a group of religious extremists -- were yelling ``Victory to King Shivaji`` as they destroyed ancient writings on palm leaves and vandalized paintings of renowned Sanskrit scholars. During the rampage, a statue of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning, was also smashed.

Saroja Bhate, the institute`s secretary, said the staff was still assessing the damage but knew that at least 25 ancient books had been stolen.

The institute, which was created in 1917 to care for 20,000 Sanskrit manuscripts, had been on the periphery of a dispute that began last January, after Oxford University Press published Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India, by James W. Laine. In the book`s preface, Mr. Laine, a professor of religious studies at Macalester College, in Minnesota, thanked several Sanskrit scholars affiliated with the institute for their assistance.

A politically powerful right-wing Hindu group, the Shiv Sena, charged that the book makes derogatory remarks about the much-admired king. Hindu activists in the group, which was responsible for violent campus protests in 2001 against the celebration of Valentine`s Day (The Chronicle, February 15, 2001), soon organized a campaign to ban the book. After a few months, and without explanation, Oxford University Press withdrew Shivaji from the Indian market.

The protesters, however, were not placated. Last month, Hindu activists from the Shiv Sena burst into the office of Shrikant Bahulkar, a senior member of the institute, and blackened his face with tar. The attackers were angry because Mr. Bahulkar was among those thanked in the book`s acknowledgments.

Speaking from his office in Minnesota, Mr. Laine said he was horrified when he learned of the assault on Mr. Bahulkar. Hoping to prevent attacks on other scholars mentioned in the acknowledgments, Mr. Laine quickly faxed a letter to the major Indian newspapers apologizing to all who had been offended by his book. In the letter, he also wrote that no one but himself was responsible for the book`s contents.

Mr. Laine said, however, that he stood by his work. He issued the public apology, he said, ``because it was not worth the violence.`` He added that his critics had misunderstood and misrepresented the book, which is not a history of Shivaji but a study of how the stories and myths surrounding him were constructed and became ``real.``

Mr. Laine said he believes that simply the suggestion of alternative explanations of history -- some possibly unflattering -- is what made the Hindu extremists so angry. ``With a great hero, there can be nothing associated with his life that besmirches him in any way,`` Mr. Laine said. ``What they are saying is that no one is allowed to criticize him.``

On Wednesday, an editorial in The Indian Express blasted the scare tactics of the right-wing Hindu groups. ``By vandalising the Bhandarkar institute, these cultural zealots were destroying their own history that an institution like this one had painstakingly endeavoured to preserve,`` the editorial said. ``This monkeying around with history for political dividends must be put an end to, once and for all, if India is to be taken seriously in the academic world.````

Martha Ann Overland: ``Vandals Attack Research Center in India in Retaliation for Help It Gave to American Scholar``, Chronicle of Higher Education, June 8, 2004.

pictures, more pictures (from ``Sakal``, a local Marathi newspaper in Pune), Times of India article, a review of the book at issue.

A very well written article, with excellent analysis.

The article is highly recommended for reading by professionals; politicans, diplomats, business people and military experts and regional specialists.

Chowk crowd is a poor audience for such a fine piece of analysis. Chowk is more suited to ``me hate you - you hate me`` India-Pakistan topics and thus, will not respond to this article and generate a debate - a debate, which should prove highly illuminating and shed some light on a very critical part of the world that seems destined to influence region and even Europe.

On another note, I hope that if the author is reading these interacts, would he be willing to comment on Turkey`s attempts at reforms for gaining entry into the European Union; the question being: will these reforms also include a settlement of the Cyprus issue?

Comments would be really welcomed!

Ciao

This article is an eye-opener for all those who want to learn about the history of the Ottoman Empire and Central Asia in relation to Russia, Britain, America and some parts of the Muslim World. It gives one another perpespective of how history has and will be evolving in the not so far future. Since Mr. Gajendra Singh was talking about Azerbaijan I would like to share that I was in Azerbaijan last summer. As I walked on the streets of Baku I saw all those Soviet Era cars which had been converted into Taxi`s. One could see construction all everywhere or renavation would be the word. Soviet-era buildings were being covered with new materials so that they would look new. As far as Islam was concerned the Soviet Union techincally wiped the face of Islam out of Azerbaijan. I was depressed, really and I wanted to get the hell out of Baku. We were staying at the Al-Sharon hotel since our booking in Hayat Regency got canceled. word of advice- DO NOT EVER STAY IN DOWNTORN AL-SHaron!. After staying in Baku city for one night we decided to move a little out of the city to Delfin hotel ( American). It was quite good, the only 5 star. Since the geography of Baku city is hilly one could see the entire sky-line and hills light up at night. It would be a spectuclar view. Then the flags of about 8 countries would rise on the poles and sway slowly in the cool breeze. Depressingly, the flag of Israel was there too. Islam was no where to be seen. Did not even encounter a single mosque in Baku city. Then we decided to drive north. We rented a 1985 model black color black leather seat BMW and drove up north to Kolbala. it was a 5 hour drive. To our left would be the mighty mountains. And to our right would be the over-whelming Caspian Sea. Once reaching at the hill staying we saw something which I thought i`d never see. The name of the hotel was ` Janath Bagh` and when we arrived we said we wanted to go to the market.
They did not understand a word we said. We said, Market, Superstore, Grocery store, drew it on a paper. They were clueless. Then, out of sheer frustation I said to my self where the hell is the god damn bazaar. And they reacted and they understoon. `Bazaar`.
After having a fruit/salad lunch next to the water falls we decided to do some photography. After that when we were returning for the Delfin hotel we stopped at a local village. Even though the sight had no effect on my tired father my eyes glistened as I saw it. The sun was about to set into the beautiful lush green hills. The farmers were heading home with their goats and sheep. And right there, that moment I saw a mosque. It was a beautiful sight! I went up and gave the molvi of the mosque my pocket money for the day. 5 U.S Dollars. We smiled and said may Allah bless you. I said may Allah bless you and your village ( In Azeri, I had just bought a book from a man on the street which converted Azeri - to-English and vice Versa).

Even though i`m straying of topic I must say that Turks, Central Asia and Pakistan are all people who have strived agaisnt big odds and have now accomplished atleast something. Pakistan is a semi-theocratic state and a semi-military state yet its a Republic trying to attain Democracy. Our Turkish friends are a little more luckier than us Pakistani`s. They are a mature secular democracy but they too are plagued by their armed forces. Central Asia has had its own share of trouble I.E Soviet Union. Now the time has come when the people of all these regions should unite to strive towards common goals. Remeber the Turkish Iran Pakistan Economic Development Forum or whatever it was called. Some thing like that. Oh well, I do advise you all to go to Azerbaijan, HOWEVER, not more than 7 days... or else.. the silence will kill you.

any ways ,

see ya !

Last december i back packed through Turkey. I visited various museums, talked to people on the streets, and in general tried to comprehend what the modern day Turkey was all about. I am in the process of writing an article `safar nama` for chowk. A brief synopsis of my observation is below:

1 - Eastern half of turkey is much different from western half. The western half is urbanized, ``westernized``, and more secular in character. The eastern half is conservative, traditional, and more religious in its way of life.

2- Ataturk tried to make Turkey look west. In the process he banned all religious clothing (turban etc). More radically, he changed the alphabets. Not only that, he set up a ``Language Commission`` whose task it was to ``rid turkish language of all foriegn influences``. This commission would, day in and day out, find arabic words in Turkish language and suggest Turkish alternatives to that. It is said that if an arab were to walk in Istanbul of 1920s, he would understand or recognize many words in Turkish language. Today, an arab would hardly understand more than a few handful words. The funny thing is that while Ataturk succeeded in ridding foreign influence (read:arabic influence) from the Turkish language, the language obtained more of the european influence and vocabulary. So strong was Ataturk`s hatred of anything arabic, or for that matter Islamic, that he ordered the daily call to prayer (adhan) be made in Turkish rather than arabic. For 15 years all adhans in Turkey were made in Turkish - until in 1952 the state relented to religious authorities.

3- Mosque attendence in western turkey mostly constitutes of 50 or older men. Except for the friday prayers, I never saw much enthusiasm towards daily prayers by the younger generation.

4- Hradly any one younger than 30 can read or write arabic. Hence, if you go to mosques, you are more likely to find quran in turkish language than in arabic.

5- Due to the reforms propagated by President Ozal, a large mass of Turkish population was propelled into the middle class. As a result, a mass migration from the country side to the cities occured. These country people tend to be more religious than the city dwellers. This migration caused a tidal shift in turkish politics. The islamically oriented party, Rifah Party, found its voting bank in Istanbul among these new arrivals.

6- Turkish people in general seem to have a ``Turkey First`` attitude towards any international affair. They seemed to care less about ``pan-islamism``. From Iraq war, to their friendship with Israel, to their efforts to join EU - it is all about how it benefits Turkey.

7 - December is typically the time when turkish men in their late teens and early 20s start their mandatory 2 year military duty. Turks take pride in their military heritage. It was obvious in the way they send off these young men to far off military bases. I was on a bus stop in a small town near Cappadocia. All of a sudden, a group of jubiliant young men came rushing through, with women and oldern men not far behind. They were carrying a young man on their shoulders. Traditional turkish drums were being played by 2 men. There was lot of singing and dancing by men and women going on. Upon inquiry, I was told that the young man being carried on shoulder is on his way to his first year of military duty. After half an hour of this raucus, the bus came and the proud young man was proudly sent off to his military duty by a proud village. Is it a small wonder that Turkish military has managed to keep such a tigh hold on all spheres of life in Turkey?

8 - Lastly I want to make a few observations about my visit to Ataturk`s mausleum in Anakara. He is reverred by Turks. Any offensive comment you make against him could land for years in prison. After going through a tight security check, i entered the mausleum compound. I had previously visited many of the ottoman era graves and was struck by the religious overtones (such as sheets with quranic verses laying on the graves, or the quranic engravings on the tombstones etc). However, Ataturks grave had zero religious overtone. It was simply a marble covered grave, atop a marble platform. There were some engravings in the hall, not quranic, but those of the sayings of ismat inunu etc. Outside the mausleum were large sculptures of ``women in grief``.

I hope to write my safar nama soon. I can`t wait to tell you all about ``turkish baths``, my trip to Bursa, how I was robbed, the turkish deserts, and how i nearly froze to death in Cappadocia region.

Zain Malik

malikamu@yahoo.com

This article is itself like an octopus - with arms flailing in every direction from slave women in the ottoman empire to mad bomber mullahs in recent times. It does provide some interesting facts in each of these directions though.

I look forward to malik99 #6 travelogue. That should be more focussed I think, being an account of a recent trip to Turkey.

Mr. Singh`s lengthy thesis seems to have lost it`s way inbetween and went around trying to encapsulate a people within the confines of a few pages,eventually losing all control on the narrative.The only thing which sticks out like a sore thumb is his hidden agenda- the denunciation of Pakistan and Islam. In this long narrative, I fail to understand the inclusion of the following two paragraphs, unless Mr. Singh still owes allegiance to South Block.


``Turkish diplomats would complain why Russia was talking of near abroad and not leaving the people of Caucasus and central Asia alone ( for Turkey) while joining the contact group on Jammu and Kashmir to please Pakistan

Ill conceived US, Saudi and Pakistani policies brought Wahabi Islam to central Asia. It was aided by the new rulers, who suppressed all legal opposition with Islam becoming the only vehicle for opposition politics.``

While agreeing with Banjaara that the write up lost it ways somewhere in the middle, still the author has captured some events as close to being accurate as possible.

However, Banjaara is totally wrong in projecting this as veil attempt to malign Pakistan and Islam.

Ill conceived US, Saudi and Pakistani policies brought Wahabi Islam to central Asia. It was aided by the new rulers, who suppressed all legal opposition with Islam becoming the only vehicle for opposition politics.- Mr. Singh as quoted by Banjaara.

This is in fact a factual position and it does not seem that the author has tried to get any mileage out of it. Last 15-20 years of politics in Pakistan during the Afghan war and after it, has been a study in channeling liberal and cosmopolitan politics in Pakistan to more confined religious and extremist agenda. We can still see the continuation of that same politics in Pakistan. The liberal leadership is out of the country and the marasis are leading the herd.

hossp#9

While you have quoted the second quote, you omitted the first one wherein Kashmir and Pakistan are quoted for no obvious reason unless it is for embellishment. As the poet said: BaRha bhi detay haiN kuch zeb-e-daastaN ke liye. I do not disagree with the first quote too, Pakistan has been responsible in propagating Wahaabi school of thought with the approval of the sole superpower and the financial support of the oil rich Arabs. However, dragging Pakistan in this well researched essay the undercurrent very subtly points out towards the biases of the learned diplomat. As some wise person said, there is a place and time for every thing and this is neither the place nor the time.

Mr Malik, look forward to your article on turkei. Its true that arabic is out, but turks still do greet with ``marhaba`` and call their republic (and the most popular newspaper) cumhurriet (pronounced jumhurriet... great arabic republican influence from ankara to srinangar). The single largest purge really came out of using the roman script in place or arabic. You should also talk of the single largest current influence on turks..guest worker program in germany. just like the middle east oil-employment has been a huge influence on pakistani and indian societies, so has german-european employment on turkei..perhaps and interesting comparative article?

#5 by haroonellahi .. you write that you could not communicate with anyone in baku? central-asiaphiles please take note..i bet you will be able to talk to jay in kerala..

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