An Analysis of the Transition from Nomadism to State Formation: The Emergence of the Ottoman State in Light of Hikmet Kıvılcımlı’s History Thesis

There are two main approaches regarding the process of state formation within state theory. According to the first approach, the state will only emerge when nomadic tribes conquer sedentary societies. However, a second approach argues that a state can emerge from a sedentary society merely through the internal dynamics of that society. Influenced by the later approach, which is widely accepted in the literature, Hikmet Kıvılcımlı, a prominent intellectual in Turkey, explains these societal developments in the pre-modern era through a theoretical framework which he calls the „History Thesis‟. Apart from other findings, his analysis is noteworthy as he argues that the nomadic state formation has some distinctive features. This study focuses on Hikmet Kıvılcımlı‟s theoretical approach with regard to the nomadic state formation as well as the consequences of this type of state formation, and analyzes the application of this theoretical framework to the formation of the Ottoman state.