St Andrews Research Repository

St Andrews University Home
View Item 
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • International Relations (School of)
  • International Relations
  • International Relations Theses
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • International Relations (School of)
  • International Relations
  • International Relations Theses
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • International Relations (School of)
  • International Relations
  • International Relations Theses
  • View Item
  • Register / Login
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Decolonising the study of state : a neo-K̲h̲aldūnian perspective on authority, violence and resistance

View/Open
Thesis-Ahmed-Abozaid-complete-version.pdf (5.738Mb)
Thesis-Ahmed-Abozaid-complete-version.doc (1.161Mb)
Date
13/06/2023
Author
Abozaid, Ahmed M.
Supervisor
Lang, Anthony F.
Fierke, K. M. (Karin M.)
Hoffman, Bruce
Keywords
International relations
Political theory
Comparative politics
Sociology
State theory
Violence
Authority
Legitimacy
Metadata
Show full item record
Abstract
This thesis is occupied with answering the following question: Why do the States kill their citizens? Or, what propels state violence and the suppression of political dissents? By emphasising on the Islamicate world I argue that the durability of state violence, which is mainly the result of the state/authority’s fear of the transformative power of the population, can be explained via (new)interpretations of the 14th-century historian ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Ibn Kh̲̲aldūn’s thought. Ibn K̲h̲aldūn claimed that states were fundamentally established and consolidated upon violent and repressive foundations, or what I call the K̲h̲aldūnian trilogy of ʿasabiyya, al-shāwkāh, and al ghālābāh wa al-qāhr (i.e., the dominant groups, force majeure, repression, and domination). Moreover, he claimed that the main tool that constituted and consolidated the authority of the ʿasabiyya has been the excessive use of violence and coercion. This violence took two main intertwined forms: (1) physical, which conducted by the police and the army; (2) discursive, via the systematic process of politicization of Sharia rules and law. To understand the dynamics of state-society relations in the Islamicate World apart from colonial knowledge, I present a theoretical conversation between Ibn K̲h̲aldūn and Walter Benjamin’s rechtsetzende and rechtserhaltende Gewalt (or lawmaking and lawpreserving violence) on one hand, and Max Weber on the other hand, on state violence and how the state acts towards the opposition and those who challenge its authority. Additionally, to unpack the relationship among Sharia, authority, and resistance, I build on Ibn K̲h̲aldūn’s notions to dismantle Weberian presuppositions on state, violence, and legitimacy. Besides Ibn K̲h̲aldūn the thesis primarily rests on Edward Said’s travelling theory, which is used to trace the modern readings of Ibn K̲h̲aldūn and examine its relevancy and applicability in unpacking the articulation between Western/colonial laws and the Islamic tradition of governance. This thesis inverts the concentration (in both theory and practice) on non-European authorities and offers an alternative reading of the state’s monopoly of violence that, in its conceptualization, breaks the colonial predominance. This is a critical inquiry that reviews the history of state violence, questioning and challenging the official narrative concerning the methods of its use against those who challenge authority. Therefore, instead of adopting or reproducing official narratives, the thesis deconstructs them. Moreover, it presents a critical exploration and radical counter-narrative of the history of Islamicate authority.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.17630/sta/423
Type
Thesis, PhD Doctor of Philosophy
Rights
Embargo Date: 2027-09-01
Embargo Reason: Thesis restricted in accordance with University regulations. Restricted until 1st September 2027
Collections
  • International Relations Theses
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/27528

Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Advanced Search

Browse

All of RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunderThis CollectionBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunder

My Account

Login

Open Access

To find out how you can benefit from open access to research, see our library web pages and Open Access blog. For open access help contact: openaccess@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Accessibility

Read our Accessibility statement.

How to submit research papers

The full text of research papers can be submitted to the repository via Pure, the University's research information system. For help see our guide: How to deposit in Pure.

Electronic thesis deposit

Help with deposit.

Repository help

For repository help contact: Digital-Repository@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Give Feedback

Cookie policy

This site may use cookies. Please see Terms and Conditions.

Usage statistics

COUNTER-compliant statistics on downloads from the repository are available from the IRUS-UK Service. Contact us for information.

© University of St Andrews Library

University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013532.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter