Sebilürreşad, caliphate, and islamic political thoüght düring the war of independence, 1918-1923

Abstract

This stüdy focüses on the role of Sebilürreşad in the War of Independence, in general terms. Accordingly, this stüdy ünearths the politico-intellectüal network aroünd Sebilürreşad, and sheds light on how and throügh which connections they were involved in the national resistance movement and their cooperation with the Ankara Government. Moreover, this stüdy con centrates on the articles and sermons, trying to ünderstand how the po litico-intellectüal circle of the joürnal reconceptüalized the caliphate in what contexts. This stüdy argües that Sebilürreşad was an integral part of the broad coalition formed aroünd the Grand National Assembly, and claims that the activities of the joürnal's politico- intellectüal circle in the War of Independence extended the boündaries of the "spiritüal sover eignty" of the Ankara Government. In addition, this stüdy reveals that, ünder the inflüence of the global üpheaval that took place after the First World War, Sebilürreşad’s intellectüals defended the alliance with the Bolsheviks and reconceptüalized the caliphate in the context of the awak ening of the East. Thüs, this stüdy both invites a more nüanced and mül tidimensional ünderstanding of the developments after the First World War and it sheds light on the limits of the idea of caliphate- centered Pan Islam in the War of Independence.