Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment: A Global and Historical Comparison

In this timely book, A. Kuru investigates one of the widely asked questions on the roots of backwardness in Muslim majority countries. He focuses on scientific, economic and political aspects of the problem and presents a stunningly comprehensive survey of the Islamic history to get to the bottom of the problem by considering all the Muslim empires/dynasties starting from the time of Umayyads. The book discusses major transformations that happened in a chronological order by putting them in context. This is indeed very useful in order to understand the inter-dependencies of the events that are often presented in isolation in the typical history books. It is amazing to see all of the controversial issues being discussed in a compact manner from Al Ghazali’s ideas to revivalist endeavors in the late 19th century Ottomans, from Ashari Theology to Salafism and from the story of the book printing in Ottomans to failures of assertive secularist governments in modern times. While Kuru’s main argument for the underdevelopment of Muslim countries is shaped around the alliance of state and ulema (Islamic scholars), he does not shy away from discussing and crediting other arguments from essentialism to colonialism. This unbiased approach gives the reader a broader perspective in understanding the pros and cons of the other arguments with their details along with footnotes and related citations. Although at times Kuru overemphasizes his ulema-state alliance argument, this argument is a novel one that helps linking the dots. He clearly demonstrates that such an alliance not only hindered the flourishing of intellectuals but also undermined the economic development and hence the merchants. Consequently, for Kuru, Muslim countries failed to develop a bourgeoisie and intellectual class, which are indispensable for a functioning democracy. The book is very easy to follow and gave me a similar sense to watching a TV series where you cannot wait to see what would happen in the next episode when reading it. It is definitely a must read for every young Muslim, especially in the East, to be able to get out of their comfort zone and realize what had happened. For the western readers, it is an invaluable summary of history of Islam although it is not a history book. Kuru’s recommendations at the end of the book have also a lot of potential to pave the way for interesting contemplation and discussion.

This is a carefully-researched inquiry into the reasons for the decline of the Islamic world from the 8th-11th centuries to the present. Kuru dismisses the easy answers (Islam itself, or Western imperialism) and instead focuses on the decline of the intellectual and merchant classes in Muslim areas and their replacement by the ulama and the strong state, supported by the military. A world where once intellectual achievement towered over then-backwards Europe declined over time as religious and state bureaucrats squelched the intellectual activity that threatened their positions. Kuru uses a wide range of sources and shows his scholarly deftness as he compares European and Muslim power shifts over centuries. The book is essential reading for those who want to delve into the deeper reasons for the current state of the Muslim world.

Great book on rise and fall of Islamic civilization and analysis of responsible actors in the process.Kuru analysis why Muslim countries are under developped and authoritarian, by historic comparison. Westerners usually claim that Islam is not compatible with modernity and demokrasi, and to be blamed for current state of those countries. Muslims blame colonialism and western emperialism for it.Kuru provides strong evidence that proves both of these arguments wrong, and provides his own theory about true reasons behind it.It is a must read for anyone who wants to understand historic perspective on development of muslim countries.Kuru's book is well researched and so well written that any ordinary person can read and enjoy. I read it with wikipedia open on my computer so that I can read more about some of the characters mentioned in the book.Highly recommend.

This book effectively addresses questions about the gap of economic, social and scientific development between the West and the Muslim world. For many of us who have grown up in a Muslim-majority country but later emigrated to the West answers to those important questions are elusive. Our first-hand experiences, such as being able to successfully adapt to the Western culture and institutions while remaining loyal to our faith, give us the intuition that Islam cannot be singled out as the culprit, yet we cannot explain to ourselves why Muslim-majority countries lag behind the Western world.Dr. Kuru’s book on Islam and development offers a comprehensive explanation to this conundrum. As one can tell from the title, he has been profoundly influenced by the classical liberal thought which emphasizes the relationship between limited central power, individual liberty, and development. Dr. Kuru asserts his major points based on exhaustive historical research but eschews didacticism: he refrains from imposing a mono-causal argument and continually reminds the reader of the broad geographical, political, and socioeconomic factors, offers exceptional cases, and provides the reader with alternative explanations. In this regard, Dr. Kuru successfully performs two challenging acts: he gives credit to grain of truth even in most orientalist arguments while refuting them in their entirety, but without falling into the trap of reactionary apologetics.Beyond its political arguments, Dr. Kuru’s book is also notable for presenting a rich set of complex events in the history of Islam. While reading it, I could not help drawing parallels between The Western Tradition, Eugene Weber’s instructional visual series on Western Civilization, which I have watched in the 1990s as a teenager. Notwithstanding the differences in their length and format, Dr. Kuru’s book offers a good primer on the development of Muslim thought, culture, and politics, the way Eugene Weber reviews Western history. I highly recommend this book to all readers who are interested in the ever-changing legacy of Islam throughout history.