Universal Empire: A Comparative Approach to Imperial Culture and Representation in Eurasian History

399 Pages·2012·13.38 MB·English

by  Dr Peter Fibiger Bang

UNIVERSAL EMPIRE
The claim by certain rulers to universal empire has a long history
stretchingasfarbackastheAssyrianandAchaemenidempires.This
book traces its various manifestations in Near Eastern and classical
antiquity,theIslamicworld,AsiaandCentralAmericaaswellascon-
sidering seventeenth- and eighteenth-century European discussions
ofinternationalorder.Assuchitisanexerciseincomparativeworld
historycombiningamultiplicityofapproaches,fromancienthistory,
to literary and philosophical studies, to the historyof art and inter-
national relations, and historical sociology. The notion of universal
imperialruleispresentedasanelusiveandmuch-covetedprizeamong
monarchsinhistory,aroundwhichdevelopedformsofkingshipand
political culture. Different facets of the phenomenon are explored
underthree,broadlyconceived,headings:symbolism,ceremonyand
diplomaticrelations;universalorcosmopolitanliteraryhighcultures;
and, finally, the inclination to present universal imperial rule as an
expressionofcosmicorder.
peter fibiger bang isAssociateProfessorofHistoryattheSaxo
Institute, University of Copenhagen, and holds a doctorate from
theUniversityofCambridge.HeisaRomanhistorianinterestedin
comparative and world history. From  to  he was Chair
of the European research network, Tributary Empires Compared,
fundedbyCOST(http://tec.saxo.ku.dk)andhehasbeenaVisiting
Professor at the universities of Tu¨bingen and Heidelberg. He has
authored,editedorco-editedsevenothervolumes,mostimportantly
The Roman Bazaar: A Comparative Study of Trade and Markets in
aTributaryEmpire(Cambridge,)andwithC.BaylyTributary
EmpiresinGlobalHistory().WithWalterScheidelheisaboutto
publish The Oxford Handbook of the State in the Ancient Near East
andMediterranean.
dariusz kołodziejczyk isProfessorofEarly ModernHistory
at the University of Warsaw and at the Polish Academy of Sci-
ences. He has published extensively on the Ottoman empire, the
Crimean Khanate, and international and intercultural relations in
easternEurope. Heis currentlyVice-President of theComite´ Inter-
nationaldesE´tudesPre´-ottomanesetOttomanes(CIEPO)andhehas
beenaVisitingProfessorattheColle`gedeFrance,UniversityofNotre
Dame and Hokkaido University. His most important publications
includeOttoman–PolishDiplomaticRelations(15th–18thCentury):An
Annotated Edition of ‘Ahdnames and Other Documents (), The
OttomanSurveyRegisterofPodolia(ca.1681):Defter-iMufassal-iEyalet-
iKamani¸ce(),andTheCrimeanKhanateandPoland-Lithuania:
InternationalDiplomacyontheEuropeanPeriphery(15th–18thCentury):
AStudyofPeaceTreatiesFollowedbyAnnotatedDocuments().
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UNIVERSAL EMPIRE
A Comparative Approach to Imperial Culture and
Representation in Eurasian History
edited by
PETER FIBIGER BANG
AND
DARIUSZ KOŁODZIEJCZYK
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Universalempire:acomparativeapproachtoimperialcultureandrepresentationin
Eurasianhistory/editedbyPeterFibigerBangandDariuszKołodziejczyk.
pages cm
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
isbn----
.Imperialism–History. .Kingsandrulers–History. .Imperialism–Socialaspects–
History. .Imperialism–Philosophy. .Politicalculture–History. .Civilization–
History. .Worldhistory. .Worldpolitics–To. .Eurasia–History. .Eurasia–
Politicsandgovernment. I.Bang,PeterF.(PeterFibiger) II.Kołodziejczyk,Dariusz.
jv.u 
.–dc 
isbn----Hardback
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Cymbeline: Well,
MyPeacewewillbegin.AndCaiusLucius,
Althoughthevictor,wesubmittoCaesar
AndtotheRomanempire,promising
Topayourwontedtribute,fromthewhich
WeweredissuadedbyourwickedQueen,
Whomheavensinjusticebothonherandhers
Havelaidmostheavyhand.
Soothsayer: Thefingersfromthepowersabovedotune
Theharmonyofthispeace.Thevision
WhichImadeknowntoLuciuserethestroke
Ofthisyetscarce-coldbattle,atthisinstant
Isfullaccomplished.FortheRomaneagle,
Fromsouthtowestonwingsoaringaloft,
Lessenedherself,andinthebeamso’th’sun
Sovanished;whichforeshowedourprincelyeagle,
Th’ImperialCaesar,shouldagainunite
HisfavourwiththeradiantCymbeline,
Whichshineshereinthewest.
WilliamShakespeare
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Contents
Listoffigures pageix
Listofmaps xiii
Notesonthecontributors xiv
Preface xix
 ‘ElephantofIndia’:universalempirethroughtimeand
acrosscultures 
PeterFibigerBangwithDariuszKołodziejczyk
part i eurasia – antiquity till early modernity
 PropagandaandpracticeinAssyrianandPersian
imperialculture 
GojkoBarjamovic
 BetweenA´sokaandAntiochos:anessayinworldhistory
onuniversalkingshipandcosmopolitancultureinthe
Hellenisticecumene 
PeterFibigerBang
 ThemakingofOrientalRome:shapingtheTrojanlegend 
RolfMichaelSchneider
 Pseudo-Aristotelianpoliticsandtheologyin
universalIslam 
GarthFowden
 TheChristianimperialtradition–GreekandLatin 
DimiterAngelovandJudithHerrin
vii
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viii Contents
 Khan,caliph,tsarandimperator:themultipleidentities
oftheOttomansultan 
DariuszKołodziejczyk
 HowtheMughalpa¯dsha¯hsreferencedIranintheirvisual
constructionofuniversalrule 
EbbaKoch
 IdeologiesofstatebuildinginVijayanagaraand
post-VijayanagarasouthIndia:somereflections 
VelcheruNarayanaRaoandSanjaySubrahmanyam
 SonsofHeaven:theQingappropriationoftheChinese
modelofuniversalempire 
EvelynS.Rawski
part ii contrasting universalisms – old and new world
 Aztecuniversalism:ideologyandstatussymbolsinthe
serviceofempire-building 
JustynaOlko
 Fromempiretocommonwealth(s):ordersin
Europe– 
PeterHald´en
 Imperialuniversalism–furtherthoughts 
JohnA.Hall
Generalbibliography 
Index 
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Figures
. Elephantsphotographedinprocessionthroughthe
streetsofDelhiduringtheCoronationDurbarin
forwhichthecelebrationofVictoria’simperialtitle
hadsetthemodel.BourneandShepherd,Coronation
DurbarDelhi1903,www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/
pritchett/routesdata/_/princes/
bournephotos/curzons.jpg. page
. AugustinoVeneziano:engravingofSultanSu¨leyman,
engraving.London,BritishMuseum,A.Bartsch,Le
peintregraveur(–),vol.xiv,no..
an(cid:2)CTrusteesoftheBritishMuseum. 
. Kneelingbarbarianinpolychromemarble,Imarmi
coloratidellaromaimperiales,fig.. 
.a TheChineseemperordepictedasaTibetan,Buddhist
monk.Orientations:July/August:–,fig.einthe
articlewrittenbyWuHung. 
.b TheChineseemperordepictedasahunterinEuropean
apparel.Orientations:July/August:–,fig.kin
thearticlewrittenbyWuHung. 
.a ThethroneintheHallofPublicAudienceintheRed
FortofDelhi.Photo:EbbaKoch. 
.b Orpheusplayingtotheanimals,pietredureplaque,
detailfromthewalldecorationbehindthethrone.
Photo:EbbaKoch. 
. Dynamicdisplaysoftortureandviolence.Southwest
Palace(Nineveh),Room.an(cid:2)CTrusteesof
theBritishMuseum. 
. Manifestationofuniversalorder.Persepolis:jambof
ThroneHall.PhotobyGojkoBarjamovic. 
ix
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