From a Position of Privilege: Descendants of the Prophet Muḥammad in Ottoman Syria as Stakeholders in Nineteenth-century Reform Processes

Abstract Drawing on the examples of taxation, military service and the composition of provincial institutions, this contribution examines the impact of Ottoman administrative reforms on the descendants of the Prophet Muḥammad and their representatives in Ottoman Syria during the second half of the nineteenth century, making use of Ottoman-imperial archival sources to trace strategies they pursued in their attempts to navigate changes and maintain former status and privileges. While Ottoman policies towards greater centralization and bureaucratization posed considerable challenges to the sociopolitical position of the descendants of the Prophet, sources suggest that they did not always reject changes outright but entered into negotiations with the Ottoman authorities to obtain exceptions, hold on to privileges, and secure their participation in the newly emerging constellations of power. Their case thus sheds light on changing administrative networks and opportunity structures in Ottoman Syria, highlighting the importance of processes of mediation.