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Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 June 2019

Ahmet T. Kuru
Affiliation:
San Diego State University
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Summary

The Introduction summarizes the book's main research questions and arguments. It asks why forty-nine Muslim-majority countries have higher levels of violence, authoritarianism, and underdevelopment, in comparison to world averages. It criticizes the explanations that point to Islam or Western colonialism as the root cause. Instead, it argues that the ulema–state alliance, which emerged in the eleventh century, has been the main reason for Muslims' enduring problems. The ulema–state alliance marginalized the intellectual and bourgeois classes. This alliance also eliminated a certain level of separation between religious and political authorities, as well as intellectual and economic dynamism, which existed in the Muslim world before the eleventh century.

Type
Chapter
Information
Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment
A Global and Historical Comparison
, pp. 1 - 12
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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  • Introduction
  • Ahmet T. Kuru, San Diego State University
  • Book: Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment
  • Online publication: 18 June 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108296892.001
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Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Introduction
  • Ahmet T. Kuru, San Diego State University
  • Book: Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment
  • Online publication: 18 June 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108296892.001
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
  • Ahmet T. Kuru, San Diego State University
  • Book: Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment
  • Online publication: 18 June 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108296892.001
Available formats
×