Plural Pasts

<p>Through a study of a variety of Ottoman and modern Turkish accounts of the Ottoman-Habsburg sieges of Nagykanizsa Castle (1600-01) including official documents correspondence histories and more literary genres such as <i>gazavatnames </i>[campaign narratives] <i>Plural Pasts</i> explores Ottoman literacy practices. By considering the diverse roles that the various accounts served – construction of identities forging of diplomatic alliances and legitimization of political ideologies and geo-political imaginations – it explores the cultural and socio-political significance the various accounts had for different audiences. In addition it interweaves theoretical reflection with textual analysis. Using the sieges of Nagykanizsa as a case study it offers a sophisticated contribution to ongoing historiographical arguments: namely how historians construct hierarchies of primary sources and judge some to be more truthful or more valuable than others; how texts are assigned to particular genres based on perceived epistemological status – as story or history fact or fiction; and the circular role that historians and their histories play in constructing reflecting and reinforcing cultural and political imaginaries.</p>