Hayrettin Yücesoy

Hayrettin Yücesoy is Professor of Middle Eastern History and Affiliate Professor of History and Global Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. His research explores premodern political thought, including caliphal legitimacy, secular governance, and dissent in Abbasid-era texts.

Key works include Disenchanting the Caliphate: The Secular Discipline of Power in Abbasid Political Thought (2023), which analyzes eighth-century secular political discourse, and Messianic Beliefs and Imperial Politics in Medieval Islam (2009), examining ideology-practice dynamics.

Teaching covers Islamic political theory, slavery, Muhammad’s life, food history, and decolonial methodologies. Current projects include translating Ibn al-Muqaffa’s Epistle on the Caliph’s Companions.