An Example of Political Ritual in the Ottoman Empire: The Sword of Prophet David

Abstract

States and communities have designed rituals in accordance with their characteristics. During the reign of Sultan Mustafa II, a sword in the treasury was found to belong to Prophet David. This discovery caused great excitement and the sultan ordered the sword to be taken into battle by the commander. The practice of associating sovereignty with sacred relics like the Sword of David endured beyond Sultan Mustafa II's reign. This study explores how Ottoman sultans instrumentalized the sword's symbolism to articulate their claims to universal Islamic authority. The article contributes to the literature on the Ottoman sultans' understanding of sovereignty by analyzing how they reinforced their political and spiritual authority through sacred objects such as this sword. The research is based on Ottoman archival documents, chronicles, and scholarly works. The article is limited to Ottoman sources and references to verses from the Qur'an.