Religion was crucial in strengthening political power in the early modern world. Rulers and states utilized religious stories and rituals to justify their authority and control their population. During the early 17th century, the Tokugawa shogunate in Japan adopted an isolationist policy. The goal was to remove foreign influence, especially Christianity, seen as a challenge to the existing political system and Shinto-Buddhist beliefs (Lilienfeld 29).
Japan closed itself off from foreign influence and suppressed Christian missionary work to strengthen its authority through religion. One instance highlighting the significance of faith is Akbar, the Mughal ruler in India, renowned for his religious tolerance and aim for harmony among his diverse subjects. He intended to strengthen his political power and unite his subjects by promoting religious diversity and establishing a new faith.
The leaders of the Ottoman and Safavid empires asserted their authority by using terms such as padishah to emphasize their religious devotion. Rulers used this title to establish themselves as the highest authority figures in the Muslim faith, claiming legitimacy from both worldly and religious origins. Ismail I built the Safavid dynasty in Iran, established Shi’ism as the state religion, and utilized this ideology to strengthen his authority (Kamrava 53). He presented as a messianic figure and claimed to be a descendant of the prophet Muhammad, which helped him gain widespread popularity.
Spirituality had also been employed in Christianity for political purposes. The Act of Supremacy, enacted by the English Parliament in 1534, declared King Henry VIII as the ultimate authority of the Church of England (Coby 73). This action successfully severed the Church of England from the Pope’s authority and designated the monarch as the ultimate ecclesiastical and political figure in England.
The faith spread to various regions, including the Songhai Empire in West Africa, under the authority of Askiya Muhammad. By aligning himself with religious organizations and portraying himself as a devout leader, he gained the backing of prominent Islamic academics and significant portions of the Muslim community.
Works Cited
Coby, John P. Henry VIII and the Reformation Parliament. Reacting Consortium Press, 2019.
Kamrava, Mehran. A Dynastic History of Iran. CambridgeUniversity Press, 2022.
Lilienfeld, Aidan. “Against a Rupture Narrative: Japanese’Western Learning’ from Tokugawa to Meiji.” TheColumbia Journal of Asia, vol. 1, no. 2, 2022, pp. 27–35.