The Race for Universal Monarchy - (Columbia Studies in International and Global History) by Ebru Turan

About the Book

"The early-sixteenth century saw the simultaneous rise of two empires in the Mediterranean: one Christian, the Habsburgs, based in Spain and Austria, and one Muslim, the Ottomans, centered in the Balkans and Anatolia. With their ascendency came a fierce rivalry for world domination to unite Christendom and Islam under one rule and one faith. Considering the Ottoman-Habsburg imperial competition from the Ottoman point of view, this book constructs a new political narrative recounting the main aspects and confrontations of the rivalry during its most contentious years of 1516--when the Ottoman Empire solidified its hold on the Middle East--and 1526--when the Ottoman Empire first invaded Hungary--by situating it within the larger dynamics of Mediterranean politics and culture. Drawing on Ottoman and European sources, it argues that the late medieval crusading context, infused with apocalyptic and universalist expectations in both the Muslim and Christian parts of the Mediterranean, enabled the two empires to ascend to power and informed their imperial ideologies, which sought to unite Islam and Christendom under a world empire in which war and conflict would be eliminated and peace and harmony established"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

The early sixteenth century saw the rise of two Mediterranean empires--the Christian Habsburgs, based in Spain and Austria, and the Muslim Ottomans, centered in the Balkans and Anatolia--with strikingly similar ambitions. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1500-1558) and Sultan Süleyman (1495-1566) each pursued grand universalist visions, seeking to unite Islam and Christendom under a universal monarchy that would resolve wars and conflicts, dissolve religious divisions, and usher in an age of peace, unity, and justice.

Drawing on a wide range of Ottoman and European sources, Ebru Turan explores the emergence of these empires and the early phase of their rivalry within the broader Mediterranean world. She argues that the late medieval crusading movement, which aimed to conquer Islamic lands and convert Muslims to Christianity, was infused with apocalyptic and messianic expectations in both the Latin West and the Ottoman Empire. While Charles V was hailed as a prophesied figure destined to conquer the Islamic East and restore the ancient Roman Empire, Süleyman contested these claims by positioning himself as the rightful heir to the Roman Caesars. Like his rival, he embraced a messianic identity, aspiring to conquer Christendom and unite the world under Islamic rule.

Innovative in its approach and provocative in its conclusions, The Race for Universal Monarchy transcends traditional East and West dichotomies, highlighting both empires' efforts to build a global community of peace and harmony.

Review Quotes

Brilliantly traces the simultaneous rise of the Ottoman and Habsburg empires, arguing that their universalist claims can only be understood in the context of the medieval rivalry between Christianity and Islam. As well as providing a much-needed comparative perspective, Turan elucidates the role of apocalypticism, arguing that to be useful, this overused term must be carefully defined.--Dimitri J. Kastritsis, Middle East Librarian, University of Virginia

This impressive book recasts the sixteenth-century confrontation between Suleyman the Magnificent and Charles V against the background of a much wider political theater, and a much longer history of apocalyptic and millenarian thought. Both specialists and general readers will learn a great deal from this book's balanced yet intricate narrative.--Giancarlo Casale, professor of early modern history of the Mediterranean, European University Institute

About the Author

Ebru Turan is an assistant professor of history at Fordham University.