The Ulema-State Alliance: A Barrier to Democracy and Development in the Muslim World

Abstract

The study examines the historical and institutional factors that have contributed to authoritarianism and the slow pace of socio-economic development in the Muslim world. The author offers an alternative perspective to interpretations that attribute these challenges primarily to the nature of Islam or the legacy of Western colonialism, analyzing the political and social consequences of the alliance between religious scholars (ulema) and state authorities that emerged from the eleventh century onwards. Particular attention is paid to the impact of this institutional relationship on the autonomy of intellectuals and merchants, intellectual freedom, the development of democratic institutions, and economic progress. The study adopts a comparative-historical approach to examining the relationship between religion, the state, and society.