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Öztürk, Ahmet Erdi (2025) Modern Arab kingship: remaking the Ottoman political order in the interwar Middle East by Adam Mestyan. Journal of Church and State, 67 (4) (csaf06): csaf065. ISSN 2040-4867
Adam Mestyan’s Modern Arab Kingship: Remaking the Ottoman Political Order in the Interwar Middle East is a significant contribution to the study of modern Arab political history, particularly in its exploration of how monarchical authority evolved in the Middle East during the interwar period. The book examines the transformation of kingship in the region, focusing on the reconfiguration of imperial legacies, the role of Islamic authority, and the interaction between colonial powers and local rulers. Mestyan’s meticulous research, which draws upon extensive archival sources, presents a fresh perspective on the political history of Arab monarchies, situating them within the broader global trends of governance and sovereignty.
The book is structured into seven chapters, each exploring different aspects of Arab kingship in the twentieth century. Mestyan begins by exploring the late Ottoman period, emphasizing how Ottoman administrative structures and Islamic institutions shaped the governance models that persisted into the post-Ottoman era. The first chapter effectively sets the stage for the book, illustrating how political power in Arab lands was not simply a product of European colonial intervention but also the result of deeply rooted Ottoman traditions. While Mestyan provides a compelling argument for the continuity of Ottoman influence, a stronger comparative analysis with non-Arab former Ottoman territories could have further contextualized the unique developments in Arab monarchies.
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