This dissertation contextualizes the emergence of religious scholars as a distinct bureaucratic class under the Ottomans and examines their writings on theoretical jurisprudence (us&dotbelow; ul al-fiqh) and practical jurisprudence (fur u' al-fiqh) in relation to the social, political and academic conditions and traditions of the time. The dissertation demonstrates that, in conjunction with the rise of Ottoman imperialism after the capture of Constantinople in 1453, religious scholars transformed from a cosmopolitan and undifferentiated cultural unit in the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries to a specialized bureaucratic class holding educational and judicial offices in the sixteenth century.;The close relationship of religious scholars with the ruling class (unprecedented in Islamic history) influenced their studies, directing their attention to the specific needs of the Ottoman dynasty as a political enterprise. I trace these influences in their writings on theoretical and practical jurisprudence. I contend that they took an interest in the study of specific subjects that helped the development and crystallization of a Sunni identity as well as theological and practical "orthodoxy" in the Ottoman Empire. As the Ottomans claimed the leadership of Muslim world and championed Sunni Islam against the Shiite Safavid dynasty in Iran beginning in the sixteenth century, they put emphasis on the application of the religious law in order to spread the rule of law and bolster their ideological positions. Religious scholars were assigned judicial jobs by the Ottoman administration, and thus, their studies were necessarily directed to solving problems arising from the application of religious law.
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