Post on 26-Feb-2016
description
History 739Topics in Near Eastern and
World HistoryDr. John Curry
john.curry@unlv.eduhttp://faculty.unlv.edu/curryj5
Room B-326 (History Conference Room)
Class meets: 4:30-7:30pmOffice Hours: Tuesday 2:30-4:00pm
Background for Giancarlo Casale’s Ottoman Age of Exploration
Ph.D. at Harvard under the direction of Cemal Kafadar and Shinasi Tekin
Takes position at University of Minnesota in 2005
Named McKnight Land Grant professor in 2009
Work is product of research dating back to 2000; emerges out of dissertation
The Portuguese voyages of discovery in the 15th century
Early Portuguese portolan chart of the Indian Ocean (1519)
Portuguese empire by the end of the sixteenth century
Ottoman expansion up to the seventeenth century
Map of Indian Ocean made in the seventeenth century
Discussion of Casale (not to be limited to points below)
How does Casale seek to draw in the reader, and what elements of the historical narrative does he seek to challenge with this work?
How does Casale’s work relate to some of the other works we have examined to date?
What types of evidence does Casale advance to make his case—and is it convincing?
How does the book attempt to appeal to a non-specialist audience? Pros and cons of approach?
Innovative elements in Casale’s Age of Exploration
Links together histories of Age of Exploration with those of global history movement
In a different manner, Casale up-ends narrative of Ottomans as hapless defenders
Linkage of events to Ottoman internal politics Argues that both the Portuguese and the
Ottomans met defeat in their quest for power The question of “chaos theory”—alternative
outcomes possible in various situations
Chronologies for comparison in Casale’s work
A chronology not based on rulers, but still relies on personalities
1453-1520 (Mehmet II through Selim I) 1520-1536 (Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha) 1536-1546 (Grand Vizier Hadim Suleyman) 1546-1561 (Grand Vizier Rustem Pasha) 1561-1579 (Grand Vizier Sokollu Pasha) 1579-1589 (Grand Vizier Koja Sinan
Pasha) 1589-1636 (“Death of Politics”)
Comparison chronology for Portuguese expansion
A chronology based on turning points? 1139-1415 (Reconquista in Andalusia) 1415-1445 (Initial N. African exploration) 1445-1494 (West Africa to Tordesillas) 1494-1515 (Emporial conquests to Malacca) 1515-1542 (Consolidation, reaches Japan) 1542-1580 (Height of Portuguese power) 1580-1640 (Decline and collapse)
Issues of chronology: why technology matters
Shifts in naval technology: the caravel/carrack vs. traditional Mediterranean galley
Historians have assumed teleology of superseding galley
Naval Battle of Lepanto (1571) Casale’s problematization: why
do Ottomans keep using it? Issues of environment, tactics
Debating views on the question of Ottoman “decline”
Old view: Ottoman state loses vigor with shift away from warrior-rulers like Mehmet II
Challenge: grand viziers are really the key actors from the reign of Suleyman the Magnificent
Old view: Ottomans sink into decline after the Suleymanic “golden age”
Challenge: Ottomans do not so much decline as shift their priorities to deal with new crises
Casale: falls somewhere in between, ambiguous
A critical question: adding color and liveliness to an account
Interesting events: the Zimba invasion in Africa (JWH article)
Interesting people: how to document shadowy figures like Sefer Re’is, Mir Ali Beg, etc.?
Extrapolating a grand Ottoman strategy from disconnected and (often) ill-documented events?
Power of cross-cultural source reading; few read Ottoman!
Controversial conclusion? Ottoman geographical knowledge
Places both Portugal and Ottomans in similar position; connect to Hess?
Shift from state-directed imperial project to private mercantile ones
Indian Ocean as a product of Ottoman “success?”
What has been left out: Katip Chelebi’s Cihannuma (partially) produced in 1655
Issues of immediate concern for the future
Richard Bulliet book will be on the docket for September 30 class (following Thursday)
October classes will focus on the writing process; be prepared to present at least two pages of writing for evaluation to the class (more details forthcoming next Thursday)
November 4: status report going into final phase
November classes on the 11th, 18th, and 25th will be cancelled for holidays
Presentations on Dec. 2, final paper on Dec. 9