Selim Deringil

About the Author

Selim Deringil is a distinguished historian specializing in the Ottoman Empire and its intricate interplay of ideology, power, and legitimacy during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Istanbul and educated at prestigious institutions including the University of California, Berkeley, Deringil has dedicated his career to unraveling the complexities of imperial decline and modernization in the Middle East. His seminal work, The Well-Protected Domains: Ideology and the Legitimation of Power in the Ottoman Empire 1876-1909, meticulously examines how the Ottoman sultans employed religious and nationalist narratives to sustain their rule amid mounting internal and external pressures. A professor emeritus at Boğaziçi University and a fellow of the British Academy, Deringil's scholarship bridges Turkish, European, and Islamic historiographies, offering profound insights into the roots of contemporary geopolitical dynamics in the region. His rigorous yet accessible prose has earned him international acclaim, influencing generations of scholars and policymakers alike.