The Ottoman Empire

How strict was Islam in the Ottoman Empire at the turn of the 20th century? Was there any Wahhabism or Salifism in the Empire at the time or were they quite moderate Muslims?

a reply to: Marcus069

Google is your friend

a reply to: Akragon

I tried, couldnt get nothing specific. Does anyone know?

a reply to: Marcus069

www.oxfordislamicstudies.com...

a reply to: Akragon

Thanks, they seem to be moderate Muslims with diplomacy not a problem. Why do ISIS then refer to creating a Caliphate like the Ottomans had if the Ottomans never practiced Wahhabism?

a reply to: Marcus069

To answer 1 part of your question - I don't know how strict they were at the turn of the century

en.wikipedia.org...

The "boundaries" of Wahhabism have been called "difficult to pinpoint",[36] but in contemporary usage, the terms Wahhabi and Salafi are often used interchangeably, and they are considered to be movements with different roots that have merged since the 1960s.[37][38][39] However, Wahhabism has also been called "a particular orientation within Salafism",[40] or an ultra-conservative, Saudi brand of Salafism.[41][42] Estimates of the number of adherents to Wahhabism vary, with one source (Mehrdad Izady) giving a figure of fewer than 5 million Wahhabis in the Persian Gulf region (compared to 28.5 million Sunnis and 89 million Shia).[33][43]

a reply to: Marcus069

The Ottomans saw both Islamic fundamentalism and secularism as threats. They claimed a divine mandate to rule, so both ideologies were equally problematic as far as they were concerned.

a reply to: Astyanax

So a Western Christian person could travel safely through the Ottoman Empire in 1910 without being killed or driven out?

a reply to: Marcus069

Moderate Islam? Moderate Christianity? In which axiom would you like to diatribe? It isn't funny. How we like to attribute truth; and falsehood, in the same sentence. If you study long enough, you become a steward of the earth. Silly, how our thoughts and feelings make for religion, huh?

a reply to: Marcus069
Being a Caliphate is not about a particular kind of theology.
The Caliph was the leading figure of world Islam. the successor of Mohammed, in effect combining the functions of Emperor and Pope. There could not, in theory, be more than one Caliph at a time.
So announcing a Caliphate means claiming the allegiance of all the Muslims of the world.

a reply to: DISRAELI


Give me the ark of the covenant, I will tell you no lie.

a reply to: DISRAELI

You will not impose me.

a reply to: mnemonicmania
I don't understand what you are trying to say, so no answer is possible.

a reply to: DISRAELI

Who is the Caliph. Is it you? Or, do I tell you to dysfunction? How will I wander. Caliphayke? You, make it easier for me. #.

a reply to: DISRAELI

I do this for fun, Love.

a reply to: Marcus069

It's something I've only just began to learn about, the fall of the Ottomans. They seemed ok with outsiders (Christians other religions) though as others have mentioned Salifism and Wahhabism is a recent concept.

The rise if Greece was a problem for them, those who share Greco heritage were targeted. I always thought it was religious but it seems more ethnic than anything... Nearly a million people were killed, a big trade of a million Eastern European ethnics were traded for 400,000 Ethnic Ottomans, it could be construed as Christians for Muslims but it was more than that, a clash of cultures if you will.

The end of the Ottomans saw the rise of many ideologies in time, the Turks for one. Many probably saw the Balkan wars as religiously motivated but in all honesty it was nationalism that was the big issue, Slavics, Greeks, even the Turkmen all wanted a nation whilst Ottomans drastically tried to hold power.

Religion wasn't so much a problem, that's what I've learned so far. It was about nations and empires.

Though I could be wrong.

Double post

Triple post....

a reply to: Marcus069

European influence in Ottoman Turkey was strong and pervasive. The government retained numerous European advisors from at least the 19c. onwards, possibly even earlier. Europeans and Ottomans also traded and there were many European merchants living in Istanbul and other cities and ports.

Of course, in earlier times the Ottomans were often at war with Christendom.

As for Christians -- of any origin -- travelling safely through the empire, that depended on the location. Some parts of the empire -- Greece, the Balkans, Iraq -- had sizeable Christian communities. In Mecca, Christians (or infidels of any other faith) were not tolerated. It varied from place to place.

a reply to: Marcus069

Why do ISIS then refer to creating a Caliphate like the Ottomans had if the Ottomans never practiced Wahhabism?

A caliph was the spiritual as well as the secular head of Islam when the Islamic community was (or claimed to be) a single political entity. The caliphs were originally the successors of Muhammad, who appointed the first of them, Abu Bakr. The title was later claimed by various rulers of the Islamic Empire. The last of these dynasts were the Ottomans.

IS claims spiritual and secular authority over all Muslims. Hence the talk of a Caliphate.