Erdem Sönmez | Ankara Sosyal Bilimler Üniversitesi / Social Sciences University of Ankara (original) (raw)
Journal Articles and Book Chapters (in English) by Erdem Sönmez
![Research paper thumbnail of "Clio between Revolution and Collapse: The Making of the Historical Discipline in the Late Ottoman Empire," Modern Intellectual History, vol. 21, no: 1, 2024, pp. 81-102. [first view: September 2022].](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/112434246/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Modern Intellectual History, 2024
Although the establishment of history as a discipline has been examined extensively for European,... more Although the establishment of history as a discipline has been examined extensively for European, North American, and, partly, Asian contexts, the Ottoman case still constitutes a neglected issue in the study of the global history of historiography and, in broader terms, of modern intellectual history. The present article focuses on the late Ottoman intellectual world and explores the making of the historical discipline in the Ottoman Empire. It argues that this transformation was the consequence of a number of interrelated factors, such as the turbulent developments in late Ottoman politics, Ottoman(ist) efforts to forge a “national” historical master narrative after the 1908 Constitutional Revolution, and Ottoman historians’ engagement with European historical thought and writing. Besides examining these factors and the ways in which they interacted, the article deals in detail with the works of late Ottoman historians to probe the Ottoman case of the professionalization of history.
Turkish Historical Review, 2022
The nineteenth century was a period of profound transformation in Ottoman historical writing, as ... more The nineteenth century was a period of profound transformation in Ottoman historical writing, as in other avenues of Ottoman cultural, intellectual, and sociopolitical life. Aiming to establish a general framework for nineteenth-century Ottoman historiography, the present article traces the evolution of late Ottoman historical writing and explores the ways in which Ottoman historiographical practices changed over the century. The article first focuses on the Tanzimat period and examines the process of what can be called historiographical expansion, which took place with the emergence of a new understanding of history among the Ottomans. Then, the article considers Ottoman historiography during the Hamidian era and traces how it received a relatively Islamized and nationalized content as a result of the shift in the political context. Lastly, the article concludes with an epilogue on Ottoman/Turkish historiography after the 1908 Constitutional Revolution, which led to a decisive break from traditional patterns of historical writing.
![Research paper thumbnail of "A Past to be Forgotten? Writing Ottoman History in Early Republican Turkey", British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, vol. 48, no: 4, 2021, pp. 753-769. [first view: January 2020].](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/73734409/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 2021
Scholars of modern Turkish history have long asserted that Ottoman history and historiography wer... more Scholars of modern Turkish history have long asserted that Ottoman history and historiography were effectively silenced by the Kemalist elite in the early republican period. According to the existing scholarship, the Kemalist nation-builders regarded the new republic as the exact opposite of the ‘cosmopolitan’ Ottoman Empire, discrediting it as an illegitimate ancien régime. As a result of this break with the Ottoman past, which entailed the destruction or silencing of everything recalling it, the study of Ottoman history was discouraged and Ottoman historians were pushed to the margins of academic and intellectual life by the single-party regime. This article problematizes this widely accepted and oft-repeated argument that not only derives from but also reproduces the stereotyped perspectives on modern Turkish history. Focusing on the historical literature produced in the 1920s and 1930s, exploring the relationship between the single-party regime and Ottoman historians, and examining the temper and content of contemporary works on Ottoman history, this article aims to present a more nuanced picture of early republican Turkish history and historical writing, and argues that Ottoman historiography, which had already received a nationalized vocabulary and agenda before the republican era, continued to flourish in its own realm throughout all this period.
Middle Eastern Studies, 2016
This paper attempts to examine the prevailing scholarly view on the Young Ottoman and the Young T... more This paper attempts to examine the prevailing scholarly view on the Young Ottoman and the Young Turk movements, which postulates that the concept of constitutionalism was solely and directly based on the Western model, imported by the constitutionalist movements to the Ottoman Empire. As a child of the ‘modernization theory’, this approach mostly concentrates on European impact in an isolated manner, thus overlooking not only the manifold sources of the Ottoman constitutionalism, but also the means of legitimation that the Young Ottomans and the Young Turks cultivated. In view of this, I seek to shed light on the historical context of the Ottoman constitutionalism, by pointing out how the Young Ottomans and the Young Turks perceived the power struggles in the course of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and built continuity between themselves and the political position that aimed to restrict the royal prerogative before the nineteenth century.
Books by Erdem Sönmez
Journal Articles and Book Chapters (in Turkish) by Erdem Sönmez
Tarih ve Toplum – Yeni Yaklaşımlar, 2023
Bu makalede, Harvard Üniversitesi Arşivinde bulunan Türkiye tarihi üzerine bir okuma listesinden ... more Bu makalede, Harvard Üniversitesi Arşivinde bulunan Türkiye tarihi üzerine bir okuma listesinden hareketle Cumhuriyet dönemi akademik tarihçiliğine dair bir değerlendirme yapılacaktır. 20. yüzyılın önde gelen İran ve Orta Asya tarihi uzmanlarından Richard N. Frye tarafından 1940’ların ortalarında hazırlanan bu okuma listesi, o yıllarda ABD akademisinde Türkiye’den hangi tarihçi, yayın ve kurumların önemli bulunduğunu göstermesi ve bugüne kadar çoğunlukla yerli/yerel kaynaklar üzerinden yazılmış Türkiye’deki akademik tarihçiliğin tarihine dışarıdan bakmaya ve onu daha geniş bir perspektiften ele almaya fırsat vermesi açısından dikkate değerdir. Makalede, söz konusu listenin Türkiye’deki tarihçiliğin 1940’lı yıllardaki durumuna ilişkin, mevcut literatürün sunduğu resme kıyasla, oldukça farklı bir tablo ortaya koyduğu iddia edilecektir. Zira Frye’ın listesi, Atatürk’ün ölümü ve Türk Tarih Tezi’nin tedavülden kalkmasının ardından pek bir etkinliği olmayan, içe kapanık ve tutucu bir tarihçilikten ziyade; uluslararası akademik çevrelerle bağlantılı, dönemin ABD ve Avrupa tarihçilikleri tarafından ciddiye alınan, son derece canlı bir alan ve faaliyet resmeder.
Talks by Erdem Sönmez
Modern Intellectual History, 2024
Although the establishment of history as a discipline has been examined extensively for European,... more Although the establishment of history as a discipline has been examined extensively for European, North American, and, partly, Asian contexts, the Ottoman case still constitutes a neglected issue in the study of the global history of historiography and, in broader terms, of modern intellectual history. The present article focuses on the late Ottoman intellectual world and explores the making of the historical discipline in the Ottoman Empire. It argues that this transformation was the consequence of a number of interrelated factors, such as the turbulent developments in late Ottoman politics, Ottoman(ist) efforts to forge a “national” historical master narrative after the 1908 Constitutional Revolution, and Ottoman historians’ engagement with European historical thought and writing. Besides examining these factors and the ways in which they interacted, the article deals in detail with the works of late Ottoman historians to probe the Ottoman case of the professionalization of history.
Turkish Historical Review, 2022
The nineteenth century was a period of profound transformation in Ottoman historical writing, as ... more The nineteenth century was a period of profound transformation in Ottoman historical writing, as in other avenues of Ottoman cultural, intellectual, and sociopolitical life. Aiming to establish a general framework for nineteenth-century Ottoman historiography, the present article traces the evolution of late Ottoman historical writing and explores the ways in which Ottoman historiographical practices changed over the century. The article first focuses on the Tanzimat period and examines the process of what can be called historiographical expansion, which took place with the emergence of a new understanding of history among the Ottomans. Then, the article considers Ottoman historiography during the Hamidian era and traces how it received a relatively Islamized and nationalized content as a result of the shift in the political context. Lastly, the article concludes with an epilogue on Ottoman/Turkish historiography after the 1908 Constitutional Revolution, which led to a decisive break from traditional patterns of historical writing.
British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 2021
Scholars of modern Turkish history have long asserted that Ottoman history and historiography wer... more Scholars of modern Turkish history have long asserted that Ottoman history and historiography were effectively silenced by the Kemalist elite in the early republican period. According to the existing scholarship, the Kemalist nation-builders regarded the new republic as the exact opposite of the ‘cosmopolitan’ Ottoman Empire, discrediting it as an illegitimate ancien régime. As a result of this break with the Ottoman past, which entailed the destruction or silencing of everything recalling it, the study of Ottoman history was discouraged and Ottoman historians were pushed to the margins of academic and intellectual life by the single-party regime. This article problematizes this widely accepted and oft-repeated argument that not only derives from but also reproduces the stereotyped perspectives on modern Turkish history. Focusing on the historical literature produced in the 1920s and 1930s, exploring the relationship between the single-party regime and Ottoman historians, and examining the temper and content of contemporary works on Ottoman history, this article aims to present a more nuanced picture of early republican Turkish history and historical writing, and argues that Ottoman historiography, which had already received a nationalized vocabulary and agenda before the republican era, continued to flourish in its own realm throughout all this period.
Middle Eastern Studies, 2016
This paper attempts to examine the prevailing scholarly view on the Young Ottoman and the Young T... more This paper attempts to examine the prevailing scholarly view on the Young Ottoman and the Young Turk movements, which postulates that the concept of constitutionalism was solely and directly based on the Western model, imported by the constitutionalist movements to the Ottoman Empire. As a child of the ‘modernization theory’, this approach mostly concentrates on European impact in an isolated manner, thus overlooking not only the manifold sources of the Ottoman constitutionalism, but also the means of legitimation that the Young Ottomans and the Young Turks cultivated. In view of this, I seek to shed light on the historical context of the Ottoman constitutionalism, by pointing out how the Young Ottomans and the Young Turks perceived the power struggles in the course of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and built continuity between themselves and the political position that aimed to restrict the royal prerogative before the nineteenth century.
Tarih ve Toplum – Yeni Yaklaşımlar, 2023
Bu makalede, Harvard Üniversitesi Arşivinde bulunan Türkiye tarihi üzerine bir okuma listesinden ... more Bu makalede, Harvard Üniversitesi Arşivinde bulunan Türkiye tarihi üzerine bir okuma listesinden hareketle Cumhuriyet dönemi akademik tarihçiliğine dair bir değerlendirme yapılacaktır. 20. yüzyılın önde gelen İran ve Orta Asya tarihi uzmanlarından Richard N. Frye tarafından 1940’ların ortalarında hazırlanan bu okuma listesi, o yıllarda ABD akademisinde Türkiye’den hangi tarihçi, yayın ve kurumların önemli bulunduğunu göstermesi ve bugüne kadar çoğunlukla yerli/yerel kaynaklar üzerinden yazılmış Türkiye’deki akademik tarihçiliğin tarihine dışarıdan bakmaya ve onu daha geniş bir perspektiften ele almaya fırsat vermesi açısından dikkate değerdir. Makalede, söz konusu listenin Türkiye’deki tarihçiliğin 1940’lı yıllardaki durumuna ilişkin, mevcut literatürün sunduğu resme kıyasla, oldukça farklı bir tablo ortaya koyduğu iddia edilecektir. Zira Frye’ın listesi, Atatürk’ün ölümü ve Türk Tarih Tezi’nin tedavülden kalkmasının ardından pek bir etkinliği olmayan, içe kapanık ve tutucu bir tarihçilikten ziyade; uluslararası akademik çevrelerle bağlantılı, dönemin ABD ve Avrupa tarihçilikleri tarafından ciddiye alınan, son derece canlı bir alan ve faaliyet resmeder.
American Historical Review, 2024
Middle Eastern Studies, 2024
British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 2023
European History Quarterly, 2023
messianic time', Steinberg succeeds in showing that in many instances in Russian history there we... more messianic time', Steinberg succeeds in showing that in many instances in Russian history there were people that were convinced that it was possible to break 'the fetters of reality' and that an alternative reality is always possible. There is much to commend about this book. Besides being thoughtfully organized and utilizing an excellent range of sources to argue successfully for the resuscitation and reassessment of the concept of utopia, perhaps the most impressive aspect of this book is its forward-looking optimism inspiring the reader to rethink critically about 'reality, necessity and possibility' by embracing the mantra that 'another world is possible'. Steinberg has composed a very persuasive argument for why we should all take what Benjamin refers to as a daring 'leap in the open air of history'. This is a timely book of interest to more than students of Russian history or political theory. It is a work that should be read by anyone who is concerned about the state of the world today, especially those who have become convinced or have forgotten that the present can always be challenged to create a better future.
Die Welt des Islams: International Journal for the Study of Modern Islam, 2023
Journal of Cold War Studies, 2022
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 2022
European History Quarterly, 2021
As its title indicates, Yiğit Akın's book focuses on the Ottoman home front during the World War... more As its title indicates, Yiğit Akın's book focuses on the Ottoman home front during the World War of 1914−18, the study of which, for the Ottoman context, has hitherto remained mostly within the framework of political and military history. Approaching the war 'not as the domain of politicians and military men, but as an experience shared by all members of the society' (196), Akın's work explores how the Ottoman people interpreted, coped with, and adapted to the realities of the First World War that, besides bringing the empire to the point of collapse in the end, created enormous physical and emotional burdens for almost every Ottoman citizen. The book also deals with the emergence of new forms of interaction between the Ottoman state and society due to the 'unprecedented expansion of the state apparatus' during the war (192). According to Akın, such an expansion was not unique to the Ottoman Empire in its efforts to enhance its war-making capacity. Nevertheless, the Ottomans' lack of necessary infrastructure for this wartime transformation 'makes the Ottoman case so interesting and important for comparison' (5). Equally important factors that distinguished the Ottoman experience of the First World War from those of other major belligerents were the empire's lack of access to global resources, its disastrous defeat in the Balkan Wars of 1912−1913, and the government's perception of war as an opportunity to redesign the empire demographically. Akın underlines that these interrelated factors not only determined the government's wartime policies but also increased the war's totalizing impact on Ottoman society. Apart from the introduction and conclusion, When the War Came Home consists of six chapters. In the first chapter, Akın examines how the unexpected debacle in the Balkan Wars led to the reshaping of Ottoman politics, military and society and brought along a new imperial configuration based on the Muslim elements of the empire. The second chapter focuses on the mobilization of the Ottoman army with the outbreak of World War, a process that 'marked the first stage in turning hundreds of thousands of Ottoman citizens into soldiers' and 'threw their lives and the lives of their families into great disarray' (52). Chapter 3 considers the complex wartime relationship between these people and the state, Book Reviews
Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 2021
Ottoman History Podcast, 2023
https://www.ottomanhistorypodcast.com/2023/03/sonmez.html
European History Quarterly, 2021
As its title indicates, Yiğit Akın's book focuses on the Ottoman home front during the World War... more As its title indicates, Yiğit Akın's book focuses on the Ottoman home front during the World War of 1914−18, the study of which, for the Ottoman context, has hitherto remained mostly within the framework of political and military history. Approaching the war 'not as the domain of politicians and military men, but as an experience shared by all members of the society' (196), Akın's work explores how the Ottoman people interpreted, coped with, and adapted to the realities of the First World War that, besides bringing the empire to the point of collapse in the end, created enormous physical and emotional burdens for almost every Ottoman citizen. The book also deals with the emergence of new forms of interaction between the Ottoman state and society due to the 'unprecedented expansion of the state apparatus' during the war (192). According to Akın, such an expansion was not unique to the Ottoman Empire in its efforts to enhance its war-making capacity. Nevertheless, the Ottomans' lack of necessary infrastructure for this wartime transformation 'makes the Ottoman case so interesting and important for comparison' (5). Equally important factors that distinguished the Ottoman experience of the First World War from those of other major belligerents were the empire's lack of access to global resources, its disastrous defeat in the Balkan Wars of 1912−1913, and the government's perception of war as an opportunity to redesign the empire demographically. Akın underlines that these interrelated factors not only determined the government's wartime policies but also increased the war's totalizing impact on Ottoman society. Apart from the introduction and conclusion, When the War Came Home consists of six chapters. In the first chapter, Akın examines how the unexpected debacle in the Balkan Wars led to the reshaping of Ottoman politics, military and society and brought along a new imperial configuration based on the Muslim elements of the empire. The second chapter focuses on the mobilization of the Ottoman army with the outbreak of World War, a process that 'marked the first stage in turning hundreds of thousands of Ottoman citizens into soldiers' and 'threw their lives and the lives of their families into great disarray' (52). Chapter 3 considers the complex wartime relationship between these people and the state, Book Reviews
