SHAKIB ARSLAN AND ARAB UNITY

Abstract This article studies Prince Shakib Arslan's contributions to the demand and articulation of Arab unity as the Ottoman caliphate ended and the Unionist Party represented a departure from positive politics responding to Arab interests. Shakib Arslan once advocated for the Ottoman League and Islamic unity, before focusing on Arab nationalism and Arab unity more specifically after 1923. He corresponded with Arab rulers across the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and Syria. He communicated with Arab intellectuals and Arab students abroad to create his vision of unity with modern media. He argued for Arab unity, which he referred to as a strategic necessity to deal with colonial dangers as well as a complete Arab revival in a renaissance. He contributed to a ground-breaking vision of what Arab unity meant, in part identifying weaknesses within the Arab population and providing practical solutions in approaching this idea for the first time.