Useful Enemies: Islam And The Ottoman Empire In... Review

The idea of "oriental despotism" did not begin as a simple insult. It evolved as a response to positive assessments of Ottoman power.

This guide outlines the key themes and historical arguments in by Sir Noel Malcolm. Useful Enemies: Islam and the Ottoman Empire in...

their own political flaws through the concept of "despotism". The idea of "oriental despotism" did not begin

In the 16th century, writers often admired the Ottoman meritocratic slave system, which allowed talented individuals to rise regardless of birth. Useful Enemies: Islam and the Ottoman Empire in...

The book examines how Western European thinkers used the Ottoman Empire and Islam as intellectual tools—or "useful enemies"—to debate their own political and religious systems during the early modern period. Core Argument

By presenting Islam as a man-made tool for state power, Enlightenment-era thinkers could indirectly attack the divine origins of Christianity.