Alan Mikhail Bücher

Lange Zeit in der Weltgeschichte vernachlässigt, war das Osmanische Reich ein Zentrum blühenden intellektuellen Schaffens, geopolitischer Macht und aufgeklärter pluralistischer Herrschaft. An der Spitze seines Aufstiegs stand der allmächtige Sultan Selim I. (1470-1520), der mit Hilfe seiner außergewöhnlich begabten Mutter Gülbahar das Reich erheblich erweiterte und es auf die Weltbühne brachte. Bewusst über Jahrhunderte europäischer Unterdrückung islamischer Geschichte, stellt Alan Mikhail Selims Osmanisches Reich und den Islam als die eigentlichen Dreh- und Angelpunkte der globalen Geschichte dar und definiert weltverändernde Ereignisse wie die Reisen Christoph Kolumbus' neu - die in Wirklichkeit als katholischer Dschihad begannen, der die Ureinwohner Amerikas als irgendwie „maurisch“ betrachtete - die protestantische Reformation und den transatlantischen Sklavenhandel. Auf der Grundlage zuvor nicht untersuchter Quellen und in packendem Detail geschrieben, fängt Mikhails bahnbrechender Bericht lebhaft Selims Leben und Welt ein. Ein historisches Meisterwerk, das unser Verständnis einer Welt radikal neu gestaltet, von der wir dachten, wir wüssten sie.

A prominent historian provides an engaging on-the-ground account of the everyday authoritarianism that produced the Arab Spring in Egypt

The Ottoman Empire was a hub of flourishing intellectual fervor, geopolitical power, and enlightened pluralistic rule. At the helm of its ascent was the omnipotent Sultan Selim I (1470-1520), who, with the aid of his extraordinarily gifted mother, Gulbahar, hugely expanded the empire, propelling it onto the world stage. Aware of centuries of European suppression of Islamic history, Alan Mikhail centers Selim's Ottoman Empire & Islam as the very pivots of global history, redefining such world-changing events as Christopher Columbus's voyages which originated, in fact, as a Catholic jihad that would come to view Native Americans as somehow "Moorish" the Protestant Reformation, the trans-atlantic slave trade, and the dramatic Ottoman seizure of the Middle East and North Africa. Drawing on previously unexamined sources and written in gripping detail, Mikhail's groundbreaking account vividly recaptures Selim's life and world. An historical masterwork, God's Shadow radically reshapes our understanding of a world we thought we knew. A leading historian of his generation, Alan Mikhail, Professor of History and Chair of the Department of History at Yale University, has reforged our understandings of the past through his previous three prize-winning books on the history of Middle East

Focusing on the dramatic life of Sultan Selim I, this global history reexamines the Ottoman Empire's significant role in shaping the modern world. Alan Mikhail utilizes previously overlooked sources to challenge distorted narratives and misconceptions about Islamic history, as well as the traditional "rise of the West" theories. By highlighting Selim's conquests and their impact, the book offers a transformative perspective on the empire's historical importance and its extensive influence over vast territories and populations.

The book explores the transformation of Ottoman imperial sovereignty through shifts in the control of natural resources. It delves into how these changes influenced political power dynamics and governance within the empire, highlighting the intricate relationship between resource management and imperial authority. Through detailed analysis, it reveals the broader implications for the empire's structure and stability over time.