The role of cults in the Abdulhamid's panislamist policy: Case of Senusî cult

ABSTRACT The Role of Cults in the Abdülhamid's Panislamist Policy: Case of Senusi Cult In the XIX. century Europe was disproportionately strengthened against the rest of the world by undergoing major changes in its historical transformation. The French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution, which took place in Europe during this period, led to the emergence of two concepts in the region: Nationalism and Colonialism. Initially, these two concepts developed differently in terms of navigation, strengthened each other by the modernization of states and the emergence of the concept of nation. In this period, the Europeans who wanted to discover new geographies to meet the need for raw materials, have moved their competition and power balance to new geography. This understanding arising from the internal dynamics of the West has caused reaction in the occupied territories over time. In this sense, there was a front against the European countries; the local people in these regions needed to organize. The attack on the Islamic lands in this period brought the identity of Islam to the forefront. In this sense, the Ottoman Empire, which is the strongest Islamic State of the period, was regarded as an upper authority as a requirement of the period conditions. The Ottomans, on the one hand, wanted to catch up with their own by making innovations in their own fields, while on the other hand they were busy with countering the invasions that took place in the countryside. In this period, the Western occupations and troubles that took place in the Ottoman provinces led the Ottomans to centralize. The Ottoman who aimed to centralize in the state tried to establish contact with the local people in the region through Islam. In this period, the state became the greatest supporter for this purpose. As a matter of fact, apart from the official organs of the state, the most effective building traditions have been on the people. As of the time, the progress of communication and transportation compared to the old increased the importance of sects with the ability to operate above the border. The sects in this characteristic have been used effectively by the Ottomans in the Union of Islamic politics over time. Key Words: Colonialism, Nationalism, Ottoman Empire, Periphery, Sect.