Subject: Persian Epic, Ottoman Historiography, and the Formation of Ottoman Imperial Identity in the Court of Bāyezīd II (1481-1512)
Supervisor: Dr. Julia Rubanovich and Prof. Eyal Ginio
Abstract: My study concerns the formation of imperial identity in the Ottoman court of Sultan Bāyezīd II (r. 1481-1512). During this period, profound changes took place in the Ottoman state. Following the conquest of the city of Constantinople in 1453, it gradually began to transform into a world-spanning empire, a process that led the Ottoman elite to seek new sources of legitimacy better to suit their changing situation as rulers of world power. As a result, a unique Ottoman imperial identity began to develop in the court, drawing upon elements from the various cultures and traditions that prevailed in the Ottoman realm. I aim to illuminate the early formation of this identity by focusing on one of these traditions, which has yet to be thoroughly studied – Islamic-Persian heritage, and particularly, Persian epic poetry. I intend to examine why the Ottomans began using the model of epic writing in Persian for writing their histories, why this phenomenon started only in the second half of the fifteenth century, and how writing according to this model impacted the formation of imperial Ottoman identity during those years.
Bio: Ronnie Agassi is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Ronnie earned her B.A and M.A degrees in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University. Ronnie studies Ottoman history and is interested in the influence of Persian culture and literature on the development of Ottoman culture and identity in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Her dissertation, supervised by Dr. Julia Rubanovich and Prof. Eyal Ginio, traces the links between historical writing in Persian and the development of imperial identity during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II (1481-1512).
Azrieli Scholarship 2022/23
Mandel Scholion Alumni