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Османская империя




Османская империя - пример нехристианского Другого на периферии Европы, и труд английского дипломата и историка Пола Райкота “The History of the Present State of the Ottoman Empire, Containing The Maxims of the Turkish Polity, the most Material Points of the Mahometan Religion, their Sects and Heresies, their Convents and Religious Votaries. Their Military Discipline, with an Exact Computation of their Forces both by Sea and Land” (1686) посвящён, как следует из названия, политике, религии и армии осман, при этом больше всего внимания уделяется именно первой теме. В этом кейсе приведены цитаты, иллюстрирующие образы древности, политического устройства и религии осман.




Древность

Райкот использует популярный топос - "скифское происхождение" - для объяснения образа осман как жестоких и нецивилизованных, потому что османы для него мало изменились со времени их выхода из Скифии. Лишь контакты с более цивилизованными европейскими странами и образование (европейское) немного смягчили манеры осман, и то далеко не всех.





In this Government, severity, violence and cruelty are natural to it [...] The Turks had the original of their Civil Government founded in the time of the War, for when they first came out of Scythia, and took Arms in their hands.

— Paul Rycaut, “The History of the Present State of the Ottoman Empire, Containing The Maxims of the Turkish Polity, the most Material Points of the Mahometan Religion, their Sects and Heresies, their Convents and Religious Votaries. Their Military Discipline, with an Exact Computation of their Forces both by Sea and Land”. London, The 6th edition, 1686.




Политическое устройство

Политическому устройству и управлению Османской империи посвящена большая часть текста Райкота. Автор пытается определить основные максимы османской политики, главная из которых - абсолютная власть султана. Он - тиран, все подданые - его рабы и должны подчиняться любым его приказам, насколько бы спонтанными и иррациональными они ни были. При этом Райкот противопоставляет Османскую империю и Англию, указывая на превосходство политического устройства Англии.





Тирания и жестокость, характерные для политического устройства Османской империи, свойственные османам от природы. При этом абсолютная власть султана - залог стабильности в империи, потому что тирания и жестокость свойственны османам от природы. Здесь Райкот сравнивает Османскую империю с Англией - приём, неоднократно применяемый им.


In this Government, severity, violence and cruelty are natural to it, and it were as great an errour to begin to loose the reins, and ease the people of that oppression to which they and their fore-fathers have since their first original been accustomed, as it would be in a Nation free-born, and used to live under the protection of good Laws, and the Clemency of a vertuous and Christian Prince, to exercise a Tyrannical power over their Estates and Lives, and change their Liberty into servitude and slavery.

— Paul Rycaut, “The History of the Present State of the Ottoman Empire, Containing The Maxims of the Turkish Polity, the most Material Points of the Mahometan Religion, their Sects and Heresies, their Convents and Religious Votaries. Their Military Discipline, with an Exact Computation of their Forces both by Sea and Land”. London, The 6th edition, 1686.




Ещё одна тема, часто встречающая в тексте Райкота, - повсеместное рабство. Все в Османской империи - рабы султана, его желаний, и даже сам он рождён от рабыни.


Nay, if a man considers the contexture of the whole Turkish Government, he will find it such a Fabrick of slavery, that it is a wonder if any amongst them should be born of a free ingenuous Spirit. The Grand Signior is born of a Slave, the Mother of the present being Circasian, taken perhaps by the Tartars, in their incursions into that Countrey. The Visiers themselves are not always free-born by Father or Mother ; for the Turks get more Children by their slaves than by their Wives, and the continual supply of slaves sent in by the Tartars, taken from different Nations, by way of the Black Sea, sills Constantinople with such a strange race, mixture, and medly of different sorts of Bloud, that it is hard to find many that can derive a clear line from ingenuous Parents: So that it is no wonder that, amongst the Turks a disposition be found fitted and disposed for servitude, and that is better governed with a severe and tyrannous hand, than with sweetness and lenity, unknown to them and their Fore-fathers.

— Paul Rycaut, “The History of the Present State of the Ottoman Empire, Containing The Maxims of the Turkish Polity, the most Material Points of the Mahometan Religion, their Sects and Heresies, their Convents and Religious Votaries. Their Military Discipline, with an Exact Computation of their Forces both by Sea and Land”. London, The 6th edition, 1686.




Райкот противопоставляет Османскую империю и Англию, указывая, к примеру, что султан может в любое время отобрать у подданого землю и все его владения. Это невозможно в Англии, где собственность знати защищается законом. У османов же светские законы могут легко нарушаться султаном.


not much unlike our Tenure of Knigts-service in England, and Lands held of the Crown, but with this difference, that we enjoy them by the title of a fixed and settled Law, never to be forfeited but upon Treason and Rebellion; they enjoy them also by inheritance, derived from the father to the Son, but yet as usufructuary during the pleasure of the Emperour, in whom the propriety is always reserved, and who doth often, as his humour and fancy leads him to please and gratisie a stranger, dispossess an ancient Possessour, whose Family hath for many generations enjoyed that Inheritance.

— Paul Rycaut, “The History of the Present State of the Ottoman Empire, Containing The Maxims of the Turkish Polity, the most Material Points of the Mahometan Religion, their Sects and Heresies, their Convents and Religious Votaries. Their Military Discipline, with an Exact Computation of their Forces both by Sea and Land”. London, The 6th edition, 1686.




Религия

Вторая часть сочинения Пола Райкота посвящена религии осман. Религия - важный пункт, который автор использует для сравнение народов и построения культурных иерархий. Мусульманство для Райкота — это секта, суеверие, "направленное на обман человечества" (aims to deceive mankind). Как и всё в Османской империи, оно иррационально и связано с войной и насилием, в отличие от христианства.





Райкот постоянно противопоставляет христианство и мусульманство, указывая, что второе, как и всё в Османской империи, связано с войной и насилием.


It is well enough known upon what different interests Christianity and Mahometanism were introduced into the World ; the first had no other enforcements, than the perswafions and Sermons of a few poor Fishermen, verified with Miracles, Sighs and Inspiration of the Holy Ghost, carrying before it the promises of another life, and considerations of a glorified spirituality in a state of separation […]but Mahometanism made its way with the Sword ; what knots of Argument he could not untie, he cut, and made his spiritual power as large as his temporal, made his precepts easie and pleasant, and acceptable to the fancy and appetite, as well as to the capacity of the vulgar: representing Heaven to them , not in a spiritual manner, or with delights unexpressible, and ravishments known only in part to illuminated Souls, but with gross conceptions of the beauty of Women with great Eyes, of the duration of one act of Carnal copulation for the space of sixty years, and of the beastly satisfaction pf a gluttonous Palate ; things absurd and ridiculous to wise and knowing Men ; but yet capable to draw multitudes of its professors, and carnal defenders of its verity. And this Doctrine being irrational to the better sort of judgments, causes the Lawyers, who are men of the subtilest capacities amongst the Turks, to mistrust much of the truth of the Doctrine of Mahomet ; especially the assertions relating to the condition of the other life. For the representation of the delights of the next World, in a corporeal and sensual manner, being inconsistent with their reason, leads them to doubt the truth of that point; and so wavering with one scruple, proceed to a mistrust of the whole System of the Mahometans Faith.

— Paul Rycaut, “The History of the Present State of the Ottoman Empire, Containing The Maxims of the Turkish Polity, the most Material Points of the Mahometan Religion, their Sects and Heresies, their Convents and Religious Votaries. Their Military Discipline, with an Exact Computation of their Forces both by Sea and Land”. London, The 6th edition, 1686.




Для Райкота важно подчеркнуть абсурдность и вторичность мусульманства.


It is commonly known and received, that the Turkish Religion is an absurd Composition of the Christian and Jewish Rites; in imitation of the former of which doubtless their Monasteries and Orders of Religious men were introduced; most of which incline to a pretended mortification and strictness of life ; to Poverty, and Renunciation of the Worlds enjoyments, according to the devotion of Christians a thousand years ,past, whose piety and exemplary lives drew Infidels to extract a rough Copy of their elevated vertues.

— Paul Rycaut, “The History of the Present State of the Ottoman Empire, Containing The Maxims of the Turkish Polity, the most Material Points of the Mahometan Religion, their Sects and Heresies, their Convents and Religious Votaries. Their Military Discipline, with an Exact Computation of their Forces both by Sea and Land”. London, The 6th edition, 1686.





 

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