Translation as a Cultural Technique: Multilingual Intra‑Islamic Knowledge Transfer in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (1350–1800)

Vortrag von Philip Bockholt

Abstract: This presentation examines translation in the early‑modern Ottoman Empire, where Arabic, Persian, and Turkish literatures intersected. Ottoman Turkish, the third language of the “Three Languages” (elsine‑i s̱elās̱e) tradition, was shaped by elite‑scholar patronage. By analysing translation processes between the three languages, I highlight translators’ self‑conceptions and strategies for reaching target audiences. Focusing on the fourteenth to eighteenth centuries, I show how translators adapted advice literature and historiography for their readership. The talk considers the roles of translators, patrons, and readers, and the relevance of translation to Ottoman expansion, intra‑Islamic exchange, and literary norm formation. These case studies illuminate the translator’s craft, patronage politics, and text circulation, while also addressing manuscript materiality, library use, and the impact of printing on dissemination. Ultimately, the study demonstrates how translation shaped the Ottoman cultural‑intellectual landscape, mediating multilingual Islamic scholarship.