THE POLITICAL INFLUENCE OF THE OTTOMAN STATE THE POLITICAL INFLUENCE OF THE OTTOMAN STATE IN THE FORMATION OF THE FIRST PERIOD OF WAHHABISM (1744-1818 AD)

After the defeat of the Mamluk government, the Hejaz came under the control of the Ottoman government, and the Arabian Peninsula was important to the Ottoman government from several perspectives, including the spiritual status of Mecca and Medina as the holy cities of Muslims, the holding of the annual Hajj ceremony, and in some periods, it was important in terms of maritime trade. The Ottoman government, continuing its control over the Arabian Peninsula, established the province of Najd and appointed a governor on its behalf. The Ottoman government did not pay serious attention to the socio-political and economic development of the Arabian Peninsula. This lack of attention created serious challenges for that government. Among them, we can mention the emergence and strengthening of Wahhabism in that region. There are several main reasons for the formation of this movement, but since this region was under the rule of the Ottoman government, the mutual influence of Wahhabism and the Ottoman government cannot be ignored, especially if we observe the emergence of this movement within the time frame of the decline and weakness of the Ottoman government. Factors such as not dealing with the founders of this movement in a timely manner, not knowing enough about Wahhabism and its goals, being careful about the relationship between European countries and local rulers, and other issues can be considered. The first period of the formation of Wahhabism began with the treaty of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab in 1160 AH and ended in 1235 AH with the suppression of the House of Saud by Muhammad Ali Pasha. During this period, the Wahhabis were able to expand their power throughout the Arabian Peninsula, and despite the Ottoman government's insistence on confronting them, the nobles of Mecca, the governors of Baghdad and the Levant were also unable to prevent the Wahhabis from moving. Issues such as the weakness and decline of the Ottoman government, the lack of attention to the development of the Arabian Peninsula, the lack of real knowledge of the Wahhabism movement, and the delay in suppressing them in a timely manner created a suitable environment for the formation and growth of Wahhabism.