Raiders of the Sultan in the Theater of Plunder: Tribes and Raiding in Ottoman-Iranian Rivalries

Abstract

Existing scholarship in Ottoman studies often portrays the tribes in the Ottoman- Iranian borderlands as isolated troublemakers in an area characterized by turbulence and banditry, disrupting relations between empires and straining diplomatic ties. This study argues that this perspective underestimates the tribes’ interconnectedness with imperial policymaking, particularly how nomadic mobility was instrumentalized as a military asset by both states. Empires frequently militarized and empowered these tribes to align them with their interests, accommodating their cross-border movements and utilizing them as raiders. To illustrate the hegemonic relationship between tribes and state officials, this study delves into and juxtaposes the Ottoman-Iranian wars of 1578–1590 and 1821–1823, periods wherein tribes were overtly enlisted as auxiliary forces alongside regular armies. Raiding emerged as one of the central tactics in these conflicts, transforming the imperial borders into a theater of plunder. The study also reveals how petty raids endured as a means of micro-level territorial assertion among tribes amidst ongoing rivalries between empires, with tribes often functioningas proxies backed by local authorities. The turbulent, nomadic nature of these tribes cannot be attributed solely to their inherent traits, as it is apparent that imperial policies facilitated their role as raiders.