Ayşe Baltacıoğlu-Brammer, "Boundaries of Belonging: Sectarianism and Statecraft in the Early Modern Ottoman Empire" (Cambridge UP, 2026)

Examining sectarian divergence in the early modern Middle East, Ayşe

Baltacıoğlu-Brammer's study provides a fresh perspective on the

Sunni–Shi'i division. Drawing on Ottoman Turkish, Persian, and European

sources, Boundaries of Belonging: Sectarianism and Statecraft in the Early Modern Ottoman Empire

(Cambridge University Press, 2026) explores the paradox of an Ottoman

state that combined rigid ideological discourses with pragmatic

governance. Through an analysis of key figures, events, periods, and

policies, Boundaries of Belonging reveals how political, economic, and

religious forces intersected, challenging simplistic sectarian binaries.

Baltacıoğlu-Brammer provides a comprehensive historical account of

Ottoman governance during the long sixteenth century, focusing on its

relationship with non-Sunni Muslim subjects, particularly the Qizilbash.