Tracing Islamic Extremist Ideologies: the Historical Journey of Jihad from the Late Antique Period to the 21St Century Nikhil Kanade Claremont Mckenna College
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Claremont Colleges Scholarship @ Claremont CMC Senior Theses CMC Student Scholarship 2016 Tracing Islamic Extremist Ideologies: The Historical Journey of Jihad from the Late Antique Period to the 21st Century Nikhil Kanade Claremont McKenna College Recommended Citation Kanade, Nikhil, "Tracing Islamic Extremist Ideologies: The iH storical Journey of Jihad from the Late Antique Period to the 21st Century" (2016). CMC Senior Theses. Paper 1389. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/1389 This Open Access Senior Thesis is brought to you by Scholarship@Claremont. It has been accepted for inclusion in this collection by an authorized administrator. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Claremont McKenna College TRACING ISLAMIC EXTREMIST IDEOLOGIES: THE HISTORICAL JOURNEY OF JIHAD FROM THE LATE ANTIQUE PERIOD TO THE 21ST CENTURY submitted to Professor Heather Ferguson by Nikhil Kanade For Senior Thesis Academic Year 2015-2016 April 25, 2016 Table of Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 3 Chapter One Demystifying the Origins of Jihad: The Emergence of Religiously Justified Warfare in the Late Antique World & Islam’s Inheritance ............................................... 10 The Late Antique World and the Prophet Muhammad ......................................................... 12 Issues with Qur’anic Interpretation ....................................................................................... 18 Situating Jihad in the Larger Conceptual Framework ........................................................... 22 The Divine Word and Historical Contingencies.................................................................... 25 The Battle of Badr ................................................................................................................. 33 Chapter Two Salah al-Din and Jihad: The Resurgence of a Sunni Islamic Identity through the Chroniclers of the Crusades ................................................................................................... 38 Creating the Religious and Political Connection after the First Crusade .............................. 39 Developing the Image of Salah-al Din .................................................................................. 46 Consolidating a Sunni Islamic Identity ................................................................................. 54 Religious Piety at the Height of Salah al-Din’s Power ......................................................... 59 Chapter Three The Ottoman Empire & Jihad: Realigning Religious Doctrine & the Rise of Competing Muslim Empires .................................................................................................. 68 Seyh Bedreddin and the Emerging Ottoman Empire ............................................................ 71 The True Defenders of Islam: Establishing Ottoman Religious Credibility ......................... 74 Muslim Rivalries: Letter Exchanges between Selim I and Shah Isma’il .............................. 77 God on Earth: Reordering the Ottoman Hierarchy ................................................................ 84 Regional Challenges and Pragmatic Policies ........................................................................ 90 Chapter Four Modern State Making: Institutionalizing Religious Zeal & Political Aims through the Ikhwan & Ibn Sa’ud ......................................................................................................... 99 The First Saudi State: Wahhabi Ideology & Political Patronage ........................................ 100 Political Instability in the Intervening Years ....................................................................... 110 The Rise of ibn Sa'ud & Founding the Ikhwan ................................................................... 112 Institutionalizing the Ikhwan & the Growth of Political Power .......................................... 117 British Influence & the Decline of the Ikhwan .................................................................... 122 Epilogue: Identificatory Politics .......................................................................................... 128 Identity Conflicts in America .............................................................................................. 130 Final Thoughts ..................................................................................................................... 134 Bibliography .......................................................................................................................... 140 Abstract Popular interpretations and academic scholarship tends to emphasize the relationship between jihad, military action, and communal violence. These reinforce a sense that violence is inherent to Islam. Investigations into the contexts where jihad has been deployed highlight how its use is often a call for unity believed to be necessary for political goals. Therefore, in order to deconstruct this belief, this thesis tackles instead the relationship between textual interpretations and historical actions, and how these varied across specific moments in time. The case studies examined range from the initial evolution of a theory of jihad in the late antique world, to the Crusades in the 11th and 12th centuries, to early modern dynamics of the Ottomans and Safavids, and finally to modern state-making projects in the Arabian Peninsula These examples seek to create a comprehensive picture of the intricacies rooted in jihad and the narrative that can be associated with a religion that is most often misunderstood. The effort to shed some light on the multiple facets of jihad is hinged upon how these case studies differ from one another, thus forcing the reader to question how they previously understood the modern day phenomenon of jihad. While the conversation will reiterate various themes and concepts as discussed in previous scholarship, it should push the boundaries on how jihad has been framed as a modern day extremist ideology. Tracing Islamic Extremist Ideologies | 1 Acknowledgements The Chinese Confucian philosopher, Liu Xiang said “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” Such words could not be more appropriate when describing the mentorship and advising I have received throughout this project. The central inspiration and motivation behind this piece of work is Professor Heather Ferguson, who helped nurture an idea that was discussed in class almost two years ago. The many hours of conversation, and reviews of an unseemly amount of drafts, has resulted in a piece of work that I am especially proud of. The consequent result of her dedication to not only teaching but also mentoring me throughout my CMC journey has left me a much more aware individual in all aspects of my life. Therefore, Professor Ferguson, thank you for being an incredible inspiration, it has been a pleasure to work with you. Professor Ferguson’s dedication to students is emblematic of the Claremont McKenna College History Department. I can confidently say that every history class I have taken, and all of the professors who have taught me, have shaped my way of thinking and ultimately my approach to this topic. I would also like to extend my gratitude Professor Wendy Lower, Kirsti Zitar and the Mgrublian Center for Human Rights. As a Fellow, the availability of both resources and advice allowed me to conduct my research in an extremely thorough manner and Acknowledgements | 2 produce a thesis that will hopefully bring greater attention to Islamophobia in line with the Center’s mission. The catalyst that sparked my interest in history dates back to my time at Dubai College. Therefore, I have to thank Mr. Rodgers, the individual responsible for this. Between chats about the Kaiser Reich and Burnley FC I am sure I would have not chosen this academic path were it not for your influence. Furthermore, my experiences in your classroom also pushed my abilities and helped me recognize the caliber of work I can produce. This was without a doubt the first moment in my academic career where I realized the value in studying history. This list of thank yous would not be complete by acknowledging my family, Kaustubh, Marilyn and Rahul Kanade. To my mother and brother, your never-ending encouragement to pursue my passion cultivated a quiet sense of confidence and trust in my future academic and professional decisions. To my father, your relentless stubbornness on issues we disagree on was the underlying inspiration that determined the nature of my history focus. Lastly, the sense of tolerance and opportunities that was presented to me in my youth by my adopted homelands of Bahrain and Dubai fuelled my desire to highlight the openness of the Muslim community to the world. To all the individuals that welcomed me with unrivalled hospitality; this piece of work is my way of saying thank you. Tracing Islamic Extremist Ideologies | 3 Introduction eptember 11th, 2001 will forever be known as an iconic day in history for S more than just the tragic events that took place in the United States of America. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, US foreign policy was deconstructed and revamped into an entirely new beast, focused upon an aggressive counter-attack that would