The Ottoman Empire ranks alongside the Roman and Byzantine as one of the most powerful and long-lasting imperial systems in world history. In existence from the late thirteenth century until 1923 and embracing at its height most of Southeastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, it was certainly the most imposing and arguably the most influential political system over the course of more than a millennium of Islamic history.

Though the Ottoman Empire left an indelible mark on people in many parts of the world, in the modern West its influence is little understood. For many living...

If Westerners know a single Islamic term, it is likely to be jihad, the Arabic word for "holy war." The image of Islam as an inherently aggressive and xenophobic religion has long prevailed in the West and can at times appear to be substantiated by current events. L. Carl Brown challenges this conventional wisdom with a fascinating historical overview of the relationship between religious and political life in the Muslim world ranging from Islam's early centuries to the present day.

Religion and State examines the commonplace notion--held by both radical Muslim ideologues...

If Westerners know a single Islamic term, it is likely to be jihad, the Arabic word for "holy war." The image of Islam as an inherently aggressive and xenophobic religion has long prevailed in the West and can at times appear to be substantiated by current events. L. Carl Brown challenges this conventional wisdom with a fascinating historical overview of the relationship between religious and political life in the Muslim world ranging from Islam's early centuries to the present day.

Religion and State examines the commonplace notion--held by both radical Muslim ideologues...

The 2005 winner of the Arabic Literature in Translation Prize, sponsored by the King Fahd Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies at the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas Press (see page 17), though written in the nineteenth century, is a richly contextualized precursor of modern Muslim wrestlings with notions of democracy and constitutionalism. Translated by the distinguished Middle East historian L. Carl Brown, this important historical work is now available to English language readers for the first time. Toward the end of his long career as an official in the...

The Middle East has a distinctive diplomatic culture, shaped by history, geography, and the social structures of Middle Eastern states. This book seeks to survey the diplomatic relationships and the foundations of foreign policy making among the principle players in the region, as well as exploring the Middle East policies of the four leading outside powers who have played such a crucial role in the region--the US, Britain, France, and Russia. Contributors to this volume, who are some of the most eminent specialists in their field, search for common themes and disparities in Middle East...

The Middle East has a distinctive diplomatic culture, shaped by history, geography, and the social structures of Middle Eastern states. This book seeks to survey the diplomatic relationships and the foundations of foreign policy making among the principle players in the region, as well as exploring the Middle East policies of the four leading outside powers who have played such a crucial role in the region--the US, Britain, France, and Russia. Contributors to this volume, who are some of the most eminent specialists in their field, search for common themes and disparities in Middle East...