Work Package 1

Imperial Genealogies and Constitutional Formation

Work Package 1 examines how imperial legacies have shaped constitutional law, secularism, and state formation in Muslim-majority societies. It focuses on the long-term effects of Ottoman, Soviet, European, and other imperial histories on legal development, public authority, citizenship, and governance.

The work package studies constitutional systems not only as legal frameworks, but also as historical and social formations. It explores how secular constitutional arrangements emerged in post-imperial contexts, how they were connected to processes of state-building and modernization, and how they continue to influence relations between religion, law, and political authority.

A central concern of this work package is the role of historical path-dependencies. It investigates how inherited legal institutions, bureaucratic practices, military authority, and external interventions have shaped contemporary constitutional orders. By comparing cases across different regions, the work package seeks to understand how post-imperial states have managed religious authority, legal pluralism, gendered citizenship, and public legitimacy.

Through comparative historical, legal, and socio-legal research, Work Package 1 contributes to a broader understanding of how constitutional secularism developed in Muslim-majority societies and how imperial legacies continue to shape present-day governance.