Violence and the Discursive Foundations of State-Building

The paper draws upon Ibn Khaldun’s concept of state-building and Benjamin’s argument on the functions of violence in making and preserving laws. It aims to develop an analytical framework that challenges the dominant Weberian perspective on the state’s monopoly of legitimate violence. In order to understand the origins of this contestation within the Islamicate context, the paper proposes that systems of power have historically employed two main techniques to establish and consolidate their authority. The first technique involves exporting the surplus of domestic violence and using violence and repression against both domestic and external competitors who challenge or vie for power. This is achieved through al-ghālbāh wa al-shāwkāh. The second technique is the politicization and securitization of religion, where authorities systematically employ Islamic laws and norms (Sharia) to justify their power and manufacture consent, loyalty, and subjugation among their subjects. This is mainly accomplished by creating a consensus among scholars of Sharia and solidifying the alliance between authority and the Ulamā (scholars and jurists) to legitimize the former and reinforce the influence and interests of the latter.

Nevertheless, it is important to note that while the power and influence of Ulamā and jurists in establishing and consolidating political and religious legitimacy were significant in the Islamicate world, comparative and historical religious studies demonstrate that this role was not exclusive to this context. From this perspective, the state assumes exclusive control over the use of (legitimate) force in order to obtain power and protect the interests of the ruling group(s) for their own benefit. Additionally, it employs this force to suppress and eliminate those who question and challenge the authority’s power and legitimacy. The paper affirms Benjamin’s belief that beneath the facade of law and legality, the authority and state embody a hidden violence, which their institutions are authorized to unleash.