Sufism and power in the Ottoman Empire : the writings of Ismail Hakki Bursevi (1653-1725) / Kameliya N. Atanasova.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Atanasova, Kameliya N., author.

Series:

Edinburgh studies on the Ottoman Empire

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

İsmail Hakkı, Bursalı, 1653-1724 or 1725.

İsmail Hakkı.

Sufism--Turkey--History--17th century.

Sufism.

Sufism--Turkey--History--18th century.

Sufism--Political aspects--Turkey.

Turkey--History--Ottoman Empire, 1288-1918.

Turkey.

Turkey--Politics and government--17th century.

Turkey--Politics and government--18th century.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (x, 182 pages) : illustrations, maps.

Place of Publication:

Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, [2025]

Summary:

"This book contributes to the growing scholarship on the political dimensions of Ottoman Sufi thought and practice by examining the intersections of self-representation and religious authority in the writings of Ismail Hakki Bursevi (1653-1725), a prolific Sufi master, well-known Qur’an exegete, and advisor to Ottoman officials. The book highlights the political aspirations of this prominent early-modern Sufi through a focus on Bursevi’s self-portraits as one of the most important religious figures of his age. By paying attention to the individual, communal, and institutional aspects of his authority construction, the book sheds light on how intellectuals like Bursevi navigated an increasingly competitive market of religious ideas in the Ottoman late seventeenth and early eighteenth century. More broadly, Sufism and Power challenges the notion that Sufi authority is necessarily charismatic and argues that the social context in which Bursevi lived points to alternative theorizations of religious authority as a discourse"-- De Gruyter Brill.

Delves into the writings of a prolific mystic to argue that Ottoman Sufism was political.

Contents:

Introduction : İsmail Hakkı Bursevi and religious authority

Beyond charisma : Sufi authority in a historical context

Authority through the Sufi master

A link in the chain : authority through the Sufi order

The Sufi as the axis of the world : advising officials

A Sufi Qurʾan? Bursevi and the Rūḥ al-bayān

Conclusion : Bursevi and future directions in Ottoman intellectual history.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Online resource; title from PDF title page (De Gruyter Brill, viewed January 14, 2026).

Other Format:

Print version: Atanasova, Kameliya N. Sufism and power in the Ottoman Empire

ISBN:

9781399526401

1399526405

9781399526418

1399526413

9781399526395

1399526391

OCLC:

1518031714

Publisher Number:

CIPO000208969

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license