Work

Politico-religious Imperialism

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This article examines the French religious protectorate as a pivotal instrument of European rivalry within the Ottoman Empire. Initially intended to safeguard foreign nationals, these privileges became mechanisms for asserting imperial influence and undermining Ottoman sovereignty. Focusing on the late nineteenth century, the study analyzes how France deployed religious diplomacy to advance political, economic, and cultural objectives despite domestic anticlericalism, and how Germany’s interventions, exemplified by the 1898 report of Ambassador Marschall von Bieberstein, recalibrated these dynamics. By reconceptualizing protectorates and capitulations as central tools of Great Power competition, the article sheds new light on the intersection of religion and geopolitics in the Ottoman context and the broader trajectory of European imperial rivalries.

Source: Journal of Religious Minorities under Muslim Rule

DOI: 10.1163/27732142-bja00019

Author: Ediz Hazir

Institutions: University of Groningen, Charles University

Language: English

Topic: Historical Turkish Studies

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Univerzita Karlova v Praze