Who Can Participate in the ShÅ«rÄ? Non-Muslims in the First Parliaments of Tunisia, the Ottoman Empire and Iran, 1861â1911

Anne-Laure Dupont

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Chapter 1 Who Can Participate in the ShÅ«rÄ? Non-Muslims in the First Parliaments of Tunisia, the Ottoman Empire and Iran, 1861â1911

In: Constitutionalism Unbound

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Anne-Laure Dupont

Anne-Laure Dupont
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Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 23â53

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004734661_003

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Abstract

The presence of non-Muslims in the first parliamentary-style assemblies in Tunisia, the Ottoman Empire, and Iran sparked fierce debates, with arguments that were not solely religious but also legal, ideological, and political. At its core, the central issue was the principle of equality among the stateâs inhabitants, irrespective of their religion. Measures such as quotas in the Ottoman Empire and reserved seats for legally recognized non-Muslim communities in Iran were designed to put into effect this equality and facilitate the election of non-Muslims. However, these provisions presented several challenges for contemporaries. Inherently, they contradicted the principle of equality before the law. Also, they fostered competition not only between non-Muslim communities (particularly Greeks and Armenians in Istanbul) but also within these communities. Finally, although these measures were implemented as part of an effort to emancipate non-Muslims, they effectively confined them to a new status, no longer as protected peoples but as minorities, thereby reinforcing their distinction from Muslims.

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Constitutionalism Unbound

Constitutional Dynamics and Political Transformation in the Ottoman and Qajar Lands in the Long Nineteenth Century

Series:Â Social, Economic and Political Studies of the Middle East and Asia, Volume: 135

E-Book ISBN:: 9789004734661

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 21 Jul 2025

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Part 1 Conceptualizing Constitutionalism: (Re-)Imagining Politics

Part 2 Constructing Constitutionalism: Ideas, Actors, and Networks

Part 3 Enacting Constitutionalism: the Challenge of Constitutional Rule

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Chapter 1 Who Can Participate in the ShÅ«rÄ? Non-Muslims in the First Parliaments of Tunisia, the Ottoman Empire and Iran, 1861â1911

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Constitutionalism Unbound

Constitutional Dynamics and Political Transformation in the Ottoman and Qajar Lands in the Long Nineteenth Century

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Chapter 1 Who Can Participate in the ShÅ«rÄ? Non-Muslims in the First Parliaments of Tunisia, the Ottoman Empire and Iran, 1861â1911