Kemal H. Karpat Livres

This book comprises a collection of articles and essays published in a variety of journals during the past decades, which seek to identify and analyze mainly the internal forces which transformed the Ottoman State into a variety of national states in the Balkans and the Middle East. Kemal H. Karpat studies the transformation of miri (state) lands into private property, the subsequent rise of a new propertied middle class in the countryside with its own stratum of intellectuals and notables as preparing the rise of a civil order which embraced or rejected as the situation demanded the old statist philosophy and the new bureaucracy. The book studies migration as a key factor which brought many Muslim ethnic groups into Anatolia that produced a social restructuring and new modern Ottoman-Islamic-Turkish culture that formed the ethno-cultural roots of Republican Turkey.

Exploring the gecekondu, this book delves into the lives of residents in Turkey's shantytowns, highlighting their struggles, resilience, and community dynamics. It offers a vivid portrayal of socio-economic challenges, cultural identity, and the impact of urbanization. Through personal stories and historical context, the narrative sheds light on the significance of these informal settlements in shaping modern Turkish society. The book serves as a poignant reflection on the intersection of poverty, migration, and the quest for dignity in a rapidly changing world.

This is the first time the continuity of Ottoman culture in contemporary Turkey is discussed by a group of well-known scholars of Ottoman-Turkish history and society. This is done through a series of research essays on Ottoman culture, its organizations, its modes of thought, and its identities (and their changes). Also, they point out the confused view of republican Turks towards their Ottoman past.The insightful essays provide not only original knowledge, but also new interpretations concerning ethnicity and state involvement in identity creation. Furthermore, they give bibliographical information about the views and approaches of the Balkan and Arab scholars towards studying the Ottoman era of their lands.The book should prove indispensable to any scholar or library specializing in Turkish, Ottoman, Islamic and Middle East studies.

The book provides an in-depth analysis of modern Turkey's political system, tracing its roots back to the Ottoman Empire and the early reform movements. It explores the transition to the Republic and the significant economic and social transformations that followed, alongside the impact of World War II on international relations. A key focus is placed on postwar political developments, particularly the pivotal years from 1945 to 1950, offering insights into the complexities of Turkey's political evolution during this critical period.

"Osmanlı tarihi anlaşılmadan dünya tarihi yazılamaz." Bu çeyrek asır önce oldukça iddialı görünen yargı, giderek Osmanlı tarihçiliğinin kendiliğinden açık bir düsturu haline geliyor. "Dünya tarihi neden Osmanlı tarihi olmadan eksik kalır?" Bu soruya verilecek cevap, Osmanlı tarihçiliğinin Türkiye'de pek fazla hissedilemeyen bir krizinden yola çıkmak zorundadır. Bu kriz, Osmanlı tarihinin birbirinden kopuk iki düzlemde ele alınmasından kaynaklanmaktaydı. Birinci düzlem, Türkiye özelinde Osmanlı tarihinin tamamen kendisine mahsus bir hüda-yı nabit şeklinde ele alınmasını gerekli buluyordu. Osmanlı kendinden önceki herhangi bir modele göre okunamazdı bu görüşe göre, Bir "mucize" gibi doğmuş ve "ihanetler" ve "ihmaller" yüzünden batmıştı. Dünya tarihçiliğinde belki hala kısmen geçerliliğini koruyan ikinci yaklaşıma göre ise Osmanlı tarihi dünya tarihinin tekerlekleri arasına yerleştiriliyor, kendisine mahsus özü ve güzellikleri, görmezden gelmiyordu. Bu kitabın özelliği, hem içeriden, hem de dışarıdan tarihçilerin bir ortak noktada buluşma çabalarının başlangıcını temsil ediyor olmasından geliyor, Kitabı yayına hazırlayan Kemal Karpat'ın önsözde belirttiği gibi bu çalışma, Osmanlı devletinin dünya tarihindeki yerini olduğu kadar dünya tarihinin, özellikle de modern tarihin oluşumundaki rolünü de ortaya çıkarmaya yönelik ilk girişimlerden biri.