DESPOTISM (ISTIBDAD) IN OTTOMAN POLITICAL THOUGHT

This paper offers a conceptual history of the term 'despotism' (istibdad) in Ottoman political thought. To demonstrate the transformation of the term's meaning from a mere word into a political concept and later into a powerful propaganda tool, this process is broken down into four sections, each relating to a distinct episode in the political thought of the Ottoman and early Turkish Republic periods. The paper's broader aim is to highlight the complex dynamics of the transmission and reception of ideas across national borders, so as to further enrich our understanding of intellectual history.