In addition, Islamic scholars believed that the quality of a text could not be guaranteed through mass production. They feared that printed books could contain errors, leading to misinterpretations of religious texts. Furthermore, the printing of religious works without the proper religious oversight was seen as a potential source of corruption, especially in the context of the highly centralized religious authority in the Islamic world.
In some areas, such as the Ottoman Empire, religious authorities outright banned the printing of religious texts until the 18th century. This prohibition helped preserve the manuscript culture, but it also stifled the potential for broader dissemination of knowledge and ideas.
Political and Intellectual Factors
The political structure of many Islamic empires also played a role in delaying the spread of the printing press. In the Ottoman Empire, for example, the sultans and religious elites were hesitant to allow the press to gain a foothold, fearing that it might be used for political purposes that could challenge the status quo. The Islamic world had a long history of using manuscripts for political and religious purposes, and the widespread availability of printed material was seen as a potential threat to the authority of the ruling elites.
Furthermore, the intellectual climate in the Islamic world was different from that in Europe. While Europe experienced a period of intellectual awakening during the Renaissance and Reformation, the Islamic world had already passed through its golden age of science, philosophy, and literature. The Islamic world was home to many renowned scholars, and it had a well-established system of intellectual transmission that relied on oral and manuscript-based traditions. This made the adoption of the printing press less urgent for many scholars and intellectuals. shutdown123