DOCSLIB.ORG

The Ottoman Empire in the Time of Suleiman the Magnificent

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Ottoman Empire in the Time of Suleiman the Magnificent HARVARD HISTORICAL STUDIES PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY FROM THE INCOME OF THE HENRY WARREN TORREY FUND VOLUME XVIII HARVARD HISTORICAL STUDIES of the American Slave X The Administration of «»« African By Louis Clikton I. The Suppression ^JvolutionaxyArmy. $1.50 net. Hatch, Ph.D. 8vo. 8vo. $i.Sonet. and the Patronage. of "The Crisis." XI The Civil Service Mitor Ph.D., Professor of the By CARL RUSSELL FISH, »T T»,» rnntest over the RatlficaOon Un.versay of American History in the in Massachusetts of' nei. %IderS ConSion 8vo. $2.00 Professor of Euro- Wisconsin. Iv S B Harding. Ph.D., of the in Indiana Development of Freedom ^n^tory Universay.^8vo.^ Xn. The ^- Press m Massachusetts. By y^ the U-v«- Ph.D., President of DuNmAV, net. 8vo. $1.50 sity of Wyoming. Apiculture- L^rrsecrel^/of in Canada. S" Xra. The Seigniorial System 8vo. Professor of By W. B. MUNRO. Ph.D., in Harvard Univer- M^unTcipal Government sity. 8vo. By Wa r».ATuuj...b..«..beM.s».8vo. »' » The Frankpledge System. chusetts Senate. XIV. Assistant TT4M Alfred Morris, Ph.D., British Municipal in the Umvcr V A Biblioeraphy of Pr«'of English History 8vo. $1.50 net. sity of California. 8vo. , . 8vo. Relne YVT Memoire de Marie Caroline, Edited by ROBERT MATTESON ' ^5 ^"JeSs Professor of College. 8vo. A.M., Assistant liams TOHNSTON, Umvers.y. Cm History in Harvard Colonies 8vo. llsh "VfEEVE Ph.D., Professor professor of Ancient 8vo. '.?:fPh D., M^S rdMarn'HistoryinHarvardUn.v..ty. 8vo. G. T. net. of the Ottonwin LA'-^^^.'/^-^o'8vo. $2.00 vvrn The Government Cambridge. of Suleiman the College, ^pire to the Time By Albert Howe Lvbyer, IX. Kificent. in Ob^hn TheAnglicanEpiscopatea^^^^^^^^ Ssor of European History College. 8vo. »2 5 S!?£r.5^^^Hist.ryint^Michigan. 8vo. University of university PRESS HARVARD OS. A- CAMBEIBOE, MASS., THE GOVERNMENT OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN THE TIME OF SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT BY ALBERT HOWE LYBYER, Ph.D. PROFESSOR OF EUROPEAN HISTORY, OBERUN COLLEGE "Our empire is the home of Islam; from father to son the kmp of our empire is kept burning with oil from the hearts of the infideb." Mohammed II, the Conqueror. " A lord and his bondsmen." Ranke. "Les Turcs . n6es de la guerre et organis^es pour la conqu^te." Cahun. "The Ottoman government . seems to have attained during the sixteenth century the highest degree of perfection of which its constitution was capable." Robertson. CAMBRIDGE HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS LONDON': HENRY FROWDE Oxford UNivERsrrY Press 1913 507 La COPYRIGHT, 1 91 3 BY HARVAKD XJNIVERSITV PREFACE The Ottoman Turks, after the world had long despaired of them, have in these last years shown signs of renewed vigor. The time is, then, perhaps not inauspicious for an examination of the structure of their organization in the period of its greatest power and prestige. It is not easy for the present age to realize how large the empire of Suleiman bulked in the eyes of contem- poraneous Europe. Amid the vast energies and activities, the magnificent undertakings and achievements, of the marvellous sixteenth century, nothing surpassed the manifestations of power that swept forth from Constantinople. The following pages will have been worth while if their incomplete presentation shadows forth, however dimly, the secrets of Ottoman greatness and success. This book was originally prepared in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Harvard University, and was subsequently awarded the Toppan Prize. The writer desires to acknowledge his very great indebtedness for advice, suggestion, and criticism to a number of kind friends with whom he has consulted, but especially to Professor A. C. Coolidge and Professor G. F. Moore. Nor can he let the book go to press without recording his extreme obligation to his wife for unwearying assistance at every stage of its preparation. A. H. L. Qbeslin, Ohio, 191 2. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION MGB Ideas Constitute a Nation 3 The Background of Ottoman History S Character and Mission of the Ottoman Empire 7 The Racial Descent of the Ottoman Turks lo Seljuk and Ottoman Turks in Asia Minor 14 (Xhe Sources of Ottoman Culture 18 CHAPTER I THE CHARACTER OF THE OTTOMAN STATE IN GENERAL Definition 25 The Limitations on Despotism 26 The Territorial Basis 28 The Peoples 33 Institutions of Government 35 Institutions . .^^^ Contemporary Descriptions of the Two Great 38 CHAPTER II THE OTTOMAN RULING INSTITUTION: AS A SLAVE-FAMILY I. General Description 45 II. The Slave-Family 47 Methods of Recruiting 49 The Tribute Boys 51 Estimate of the System S3 The Slave Status 55 The Harem, the Eunuchs, and the Royal Family ... 56 Other Ottoman Slave-Families 58 —-* Character of Ottoman Slavery 60 CHAPTER III THE RULING INSTITUTION: AS MISSIONARY ENTERPRISE AND EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM L The Missionary Motive 62 The Ottoman Attitude 63 Other Motives for Incorporating Christians 65 vii VUl CONTENTS PAGE The Requirement of Conversion 66 Sincerity of Conversion 68 Effect of the Process 69 --ni. Tece Educational Scheme 71 The Colleges of Pages 73 The Harem 78 The Ajem-oghlans 79 Advancement Based on Merit 82 Punishments 88 CHAPTER IV THE RULING INSTITUTION: AS AN ARMY The Military Aspect 90 The Janissaries 91 The Succession to the Throne 93 The Spahis of the Porte 98 The Feudal Spahis 100 Officers of the Feudal Spahis 103 Other Bodies of Troops 105 Discipline and Ardor 108 The Supreme Command 109 Indivisibility of the Army iii CHAPTER V THE RULING INSTITUTION: AS A NOBILITY AND A COURT I. Privileges of the Kullar 114 Nobility not Hereditary 117 II. Character of the Sultan's Court 120 Organization of the Household 123 The Harem 124 The Inside Service 126 The Outside Service 128 The Ceremonies of the Court 133 Influence of the Court 141 CHAPTER VI THE RULING INSTITUTION: AS GOVERNMENT Summary 146 Functions of the Ottoman Government 147 The Sultan as Head of the State and of the Government . 150 The Sultan as Legislator 152 The Legislation of Suleiman 159 The Viziers 163 CONTENTS IX MOE The Defterdars or Treasurers 167 Taxation in the Ottoman Empire i75 Suleiman's Income i79 The Nishanji or Chancellor 182 The Divan or Council 187 The Ruling Institution as a Whole i93 CHAPTER Vn THE MOSLEM INSTITUTION OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE General Description 199 Financial Support of the Moslem Institution aop The Educational System 203 Clergy, Seids, and Dervishes ;2o6 Jurists and the Mufti 207 The Judicial System 215 The Moslem Institution as a Whole 224 CHAPTER VIII COMPARISON OF THE TWO GREAT INSTITUTIONS Likenesses 227 Differences 230 Interactions 232 The Relative Power of the Institutions 233 APPENDICES I. The Second Book of the Affairs of the Turks Written in 1534, supposedly by Benedetto Ramberti. Translated from the Italian 239 n. Pamphlet of Junis Bey and Alvise Gritti Printed in 1537. Presented in the original Italian 262 in. Incomplete Table of Contents of the Kanun-Nameh, OR Collection of Edicts, of Suleiman the Magnificent AS arranged by the Mufti Ebu Su'ud Translated from the Turkish 276 rV. The Government of the Mogul Empire in India General Comparison of Ottoman and Indian Conditions , . 278 The Personnel of the Mogul Government 279 Relation of Government to Religious Propagation 283 The Army 285 X CONTENTS PAGE The Court 287 The Goverament Proper 292 The Moslems and the Moslem Church 299 Books consulted in the Preparation of Appendix IV .... 303 V. Bibliographical Notes i. Origins of Ottoman Governmental Ideas 305 ii. The Ottoman Government in the Sixteenth Century . 307 iii. Alphabetical List of Works Cited 322 GLOSSARY OF TURKISH WORDS 331 INDEX 339 THE GOVERNMENT OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE THE GOVERNMENT OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE INTRODUCTION Ideas Constitute a Nation A nation, when considered from its earliest to its latest days, is much more a body of ideas than a race of men. Men die, families decay, the original stock tends to disappear; new individuals are admitted from without, new family groups take the lead, whole tribes are incorporated and absorbed; after centuries the anthropological result often bears but slight resem- blance to the original type. Undoubtedly the fabric of ideas which a nation weaves as its history develops also undergoes changes of pattern; old principles pass out of sight, and new ones, born of circumstance, or brought in from without, come to controlling influence. But ideas are not, like men, mortal: they can be transmitted from man to man through ages; they can be stored in books and thus pass from the dead to the living; when built together into a solid and attractive structure, they impart to the whole something of their individual immortality. Singly they pass as readily to strangers as to kindred; when organized to rounded completeness as the culture of a great living nation, they have a power which lays hold of men of many races, alone or in masses, and in the absence of strong prejudice compels acceptance. Such an assimilative force can clearly be seen in vigorous operation in the United States of America today. A system of ideas, woven of countless threads spun by Egyptian, Babylonian, Hebrew, Greek, Roman, and Teuton, preserved and enlarged by Frank, Anglo-Saxon, Norman, and EngUshman, recombined in a new and striking pattern by the founders of the republic, is thrown over men from every nation under heaven, who under its influence all become of one type, not to be mistaken wherever it is seen. 3 4 THE GOVERNMENT OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE The history of the Ottoman Empire reveals the constant working of a like assimilative force. It was not merely, and not even mainly, the compulsion of the sword that built up and main- tained the strongest national power of the sixteenth century.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Buradan Hareketle Bu Çalışmada, Kastamonu Ili Kamu Hastaneleri Birliği’Ne Bağlı Sağlık Işletmelerinin 2008-2012 Dönemindeki Finansal Performansları Ölçülmektedir
    ISSN 2147-1673 ASIA MINOR STUDIES (ULUSLARARASI HAKEMLİ SOSYAL BİLİMLER DERGİSİ) Kadın İstihdamına Farklı Bir Bakış: Haneiçi İstihdam Taner AKÇACI Ortaöğretim Sosyoloji Dersi Öğretim Programının Ürüne Dayalı Bilişsel Boyutunun Değerlendirilmesi B. BAĞÇECİ, N. Nur MEŞE, F. KORKMAZ, S. ÜNSAL Bir Ressamın Kaleminden “Yeditepe’nin Kat”Ları: Abidin Dino’nun Yeditepe Öyküleri Sema Çetin BAYCANLAR XVIII. Yüzyılda Osmanlı Taşrasında Yerli Yeniçeriler: Hasan Kale Örneği Uğur DEMLİKOĞLU Kamu Sağlık İşletmelerinde Finansal Performans Değerlemesi: Kamu Hastaneleri Birlikleri Üzerine Bir Uygulama Cuma ERCAN, Faruk DAYI, Erdem AKDEMİR 1714–1715 Tarihleri Arasında Ayntab’da Sosyal, Siyasî Ve İktisadî Yapı (65 Numaralı Ayntab Şer’iye Sicili’ne Göre) Murat FİDAN Uzun Hasan Devri Akkoyunlu-Memluk İlişkileri Tofiq NECEFLİ Bir Ulus İnşa Etmek: Türk Tarih Yazım Biliminde Balkan Bölgesinin Yeri Armand SAG Gaziantep’te Özelliklerini Yitiren Bir Geçici Yerleşme Şekli: Bağ Evleri Mehmet Emin SÖNMEZ Arif Damar’ın ‘Şafak Vakti’ Şiirini Marksist Eleştirel Yaklaşımla İnceleme Denemesi Kenan YAVUZ Türk Rönesansı ve Hümanizma: Milli Kimliğin İçeriğine Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar ve Hilmi Ziya Ülken’in Katkıları Emre YILDIRIM Örgüt Teorilerinde Ahlak: Kavramsal Bir İnceleme Özcan ZORLU Cilt/ Volume:1 Sayı / Issue:2 Temmuz/ July 2013 www.asiaminorstudies.com ISSN 2147-1673 ASIA MINOR STUDIES (Uluslararası Hakemli Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi) Ocak ve Temmuz olmak üzere yılda iki kez yayınlanır Cilt/ Volume:1 Sayı / Issue:2 Temmuz/ July 2013 KİLİS 2013 Tarandığı İndeksler ve Veri Tabanları Indexes &Databases Index Copernicus International (ICI) Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory (UPD) http://journals.indexcopernicus.com www.ulrichsweb.com Central and Eastern European Online Academia Sosyal Bilimler İndeksi (ASOS) Library (CEEOL) http://asosindex.com/journal http://www.ceeol.com/ Akademik Türk Dergileri İndeksi Bilimsel Yayın İndeksi http://www.akademikdizin.com/ http://www.arastirmax.com/ ASIA MINOR STUDIES ISSN 2147-1673 Sahibi / Publisher Danışma Kurulu / Advisory Board Yrd.
    [Show full text]
  • Suleiman the Magnificent Rules During a Golden Age
    2/5/2019 Big Idea Suleiman the Magnificent rules during a Golden Age. Essential Question How did Suleiman the Magnificent gain and maintain power? 1 2/5/2019 Words To Know Sultan – the leader of the Ottoman Empire, like a emperor or a king. Golden Age – a period of great wealth (money), prosperity, cultural and scientific achievement in areas such as art, science, literature and math. Magnificent - very good or excellent Caliph - the successor to Muhammad as the political and religious leader of the Muslims. Let’s Set The Stage… Suleiman the Magnificent was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire and Caliph of Islam from 1520 to 1566. Ottoman power reached its height and became a world power under his rule. His rule represented one of the most orderly (peaceful) periods of Ottoman history. While Suleiman was known as "the Magnificent" in the West, he was known as the "The Lawgiver" to his own Ottoman subjects. He was known as “The Lawgiver” because of how he ruled his empire. 2 2/5/2019 Suleiman Takes the Throne Suleiman's early career helped to prepare him for the day he would become Sultan. While still a teenager, he was appointed governor of Kaffa. As governor, he learned how politics and the law worked. Suleiman also learned about different cultures and places in the empire. In 1520, Suleiman's father died and Suleiman became the new Sultan of the Ottoman Empire at the age of 26. 3 2/5/2019 Suleiman Expands the Ottoman Empire Upon assuming the throne, Suleiman began military campaigns to expand his empire.
    [Show full text]
  • Conscripts for the Ottoman Army, - Veysel Şimşek*
    The First “Little Mehmeds”: Conscripts for the Ottoman Army, - Veysel Şimşek* İlk Mehmetçikler Kimlerdi?: Osmanlı Ordusunun Neferleri, 1826-1853 Öz 1826 yılında Yeniçeri Ocağı’nı ortadan kaldıran ve yıllardan beri içerden ve dışardan siyasi ve askerî olarak otoritesi sürekli tehdit edilen Osmanlı merkezî hükü- meti, çareyi uzun yıllar boyunca silah altında tutulmak üzere toplanmış “başıbağlu” neferlerden oluşan Avrupa tipi bir ordu kurmakta bulmuştu. Osmanlı devleti, yeni kurduğu alayların artan asker ihtiyacını karşılamak üzere Müslüman köylüleri ve alt tabakadan gelen şehirlileri zorla askere aldı. Bu makale tarih araştırmaları bağlamında yeterince çalışılmamış bu askerlerin hikayelerine odaklanmaktadır. Çalışmada halkın ve askere alınanların zorunlu askerliğe karşı verdikleri tepkiler ve askere alınanların toplumsal arkaplanları incelenmektedir. Makalede aynı zamanda dinin, etno-kültürel kimliklerin, sosyal statünün ve askerlik tecrübesinin Osmanlı devletinin askere alma siyasetini ve halkın askerliğe dair düşüncelerini nasıl etkilediği, milliyetçilik hislerinin Müslüman Osmanlı tebaası arasında yayılmasından önceye tekabül eden bu dönemde tahlil edilecektir. Anahtar kelimeler: Askere Alma, Zorunlu Askerlik, II. Mahmud, Tanzimat, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nda Reform * McMaster University, Canada. This article is based on my MA thesis, titled “Ottoman Military Recruitment and the Recruit, 1826–1853,” completed at Bilkent University in Ankara in 2005, and on my doctoral dissertation under way at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. The text has been updated to my recent research. Some of the arguments and mate- rial presented here were summarized in Veysel Şimşek, “Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nda Düzenli Ordu için Asker Toplanması: 1826-1853,” Toplumsal Tarih 198 (2010), 36-42. I am grateful to Dr. Virginia H. Aksan and Dr. Petra Dreiser for reading my drafts and for their invaluable comments and suggestions.
    [Show full text]
  • Ottoman Women in Public Urban Spaces
    Ottoman Women in Public Urban Spaces Master’s Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Brandeis University Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, and Women and Gender Studies Kanan Makiya, Advisor In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Master’s Degree by Emily Baum August 2012 Acknowledgements First and foremost, I offer my sincerest gratitude to my advisor, Professor Kanan Makiya, who has supported me throughout my thesis with his patience and knowledge while still allowing me the room to work in my own way. His encouragement and effort was vital to the survival of this project and without him, this thesis would not have been completed or written. As well, Professors Sarah Lamb, ChaeRan Freeze, and Bernadette Brooten have offered much advice and insight throughout my work. I would also like to thank Shannon Hunt for dealing with my many moments of panic about this project and her ever-present support over the past year. As well, I would like to thank the departments of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Women and Gender Studies for providing the support and resources I have needed to produce and complete my thesis. Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for supporting me throughout all my studies. This would have been impossible without their support and love. Emily Baum ii Abstract Ottoman Women in Public Urban Spaces A thesis presented to the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, and Women and Gender Studies Departments Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Brandeis University Waltham, Massachusetts By Emily Baum This paper seeks to examine women’s interactions with urban spaces in the Ottoman Empire.
    [Show full text]
  • Florentine and Ottoman Women of the 14Th-16Th Centuries, a Comparative
    For more resources, visit the CMES Website For more educational resources, visit the CMES Outreach Website `FLORENTINE and OTTOMAN WOMEN OF THE 14th - 16th CENTURIES - - A COMPARATIVE CURRICULUM UNIT Louise Forsyth Poly Prep Country Day School Teach Ottoman Empire Travel Seminar 2009 Length: One to two periods (forty-five to ninety minutes) Level: high school (9-12) When best to use it: at the end of the Italian Renaissance unit in European or world history classes or while studying the early Ottoman Empire Aims: . to evaluate what the Renaissance meant for Italian women, particularly in Florence . to provide a comparison to the conditions of European women with non- European women . to have students examine stereotypical images of Eastern and Western women . to expose students to the social history of the early Ottoman Empire . to introduce students to a variety of issues that are barely touched upon in most textbooks (sumptuary laws, European slavery, prostitution, etc.) . to have students use primary and secondary sources as the basis for learning Lessons: The following materials may be used in one of two ways. A. The teacher can make a handout of the documents and give students a homework assignment, along the lines of the sample assignment at the end of this packet. The next day student responses can be the basis for class discussion. B. Use the documents for in-class activities on Italian and Ottoman women. See below. USING THE DOCUMENTS IN CLASS [minimum: 45 minutes] Introduction: (5 minutes) • Introduce the topic by eliciting student images of the general differences between the lives of Western Christian women and (Ottoman or Turkish) Muslim women.
    [Show full text]
  • REPAIR PHASES of SULEYMANIYE COMPLEX in DAMASCUS Neriman ŞAHİN GÜÇHAN*, Ayşe Esin KULELİ**
    REPAIRMETU JFA PHASES 2018/2 OF SULEYMANIYE COMPLEX IN DAMASCUS DOI:METU 10.4305/METU.JFA.2018.2.3 JFA 2018/2 1 (35:2) 1-28 REPAIR PHASES OF SULEYMANIYE COMPLEX IN DAMASCUS Neriman ŞAHİN GÜÇHAN*, Ayşe Esin KULELİ** Received: 09.02.2016; Final Text: 03.11.2017 INTRODUCTION Keywords: Süleymaniye Complex in Damascus; Mimar Sinan; Ottoman; Suleymaniye Complex which was commissioned by Sultan Suleiman the restoration. Magnificent (1495–1566) on the pilgrimage route from Istanbul to Mecca, 1. The first version of this paper was on the bank of the River Barada as the last stop before the desert is one of delivered in the Sinan & His Age Symposium the monuments designed by Mimar Sinan in accordance with the principles but not published. The second version of the study is published as sections of a book of the Ottoman classical period. “Takiyah Suleymaniye” was built between written by the authors and published in 1554 and 1559 on the site that was once occupied by the palace outside 2009. Then this concise and revised version of the article is written in English in 2016 the walls of Damascus commissioned by Memluk ruler Baibars in 1264. It with the addition of some new findings. For is composed of the Mosque, two Tabhanes (hospices), Caravanserais, the more information on evidence, documents Imaret (public soup kitchen), the Madrasa and the Arasta (bazaar) (Kuran, and opinions see: (Şahin Güçhan and Kuleli, 2009). 1986, 69; Necipoğlu, 2005, 222-30) (Figure 1). This paper (1) aims to study the construction and restoration phases of the Complex in chronologically ordered periods by associating the historical documents and researches with the findings and traces in the building (Şahin Güçhan and Kuleli, 2009).
    [Show full text]
  • Animal Welfare and the Protection of Draft Animals in the Ottoman Fatwa¯ Literature and Legislation
    religions Article Be Gentle to Them: Animal Welfare and the Protection of Draft Animals in the Ottoman Fatwa¯ Literature and Legislation Necmettin Kızılkaya Faculty of Divinity, Istanbul University, 34452 Istanbul,˙ Turkey; [email protected] Received: 5 August 2020; Accepted: 16 October 2020; Published: 20 October 2020 Abstract: Animal studies in the Islamic context have greatly increased in number in recent years. These studies mostly examine the subject of animal treatment through the two main sources of Islam, namely, the Qur’an and the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad. Some studies that go beyond these two sources examine the subject of animal treatment through the texts of various disciplines, especially those of Islamic jurisprudence and law. Although these two research approaches offer a picture of how animal treatment is perceived in Islamic civilization, it is still not a full one. Other sources, such as fatwa¯ books and archive documents, should be used to fill in the gaps. By incorporating these into the pool of research, we will be better enabled to understand how the principles expressed in the main sources of Islam are reflected in daily life. In this article, I shall examine animal welfare and ( animal protection in the Ottoman context based on the fataw¯ a¯ of Shaykh al-Islam¯ Ebu’s-Su¯ ud¯ Efendi and archival documents. Keywords: animal welfare; animal protection; draft animals; Ottoman Legislation; Fatwa;¯ Ebussuud¯ Efendi In addition to the foundational sources of Islam and the main texts of various disciplines, the use of fatwa¯ (plural: fataw¯ a¯) collections and archival documents will shed light on an accurate understanding of Muslim societies’ perspectives on animals.
    [Show full text]
  • Jo in T Crisis Committees
    TMUN JOINT CRISIS COMMITTEES GOVERNMENT THE SULTAN AND THE IMPERIAL COUNCIL To a larger extent than the kings of contemporary Western governments, the Sultan is central to the Ottoman system.1 His theoretical powers are absolute; he is the only one authorized to pass binding laws, and, as commander in chief of all armies and appointer of his own government, he can enforce them (McCarthy 109).2 In practice, the Sultan’s powers are checked by the people around him: having spent his life within the walls of theTopkapi palace, he relies on bureaucrats and scribes to inform him; he is influenced by members of his harem, who are politically savvy and leverage their close relationship with him; and he must consider the interests of powerful institutions, such as the Janissaries.3 Perhaps wary of these interests, Mahmud II has so far presented himself as conservative and pious.4 However, he is gradually filling government posts with people loyal to him, suggesting hemaybe consolidating power.5 J The Sultan’s authorityS is acted upon by hisImperial Council--the central government O E I N of the Ottoman Empire.E It is composed mainly of viziers, and headed by the Grand Vizier, who TT T I 6 C represents the Sultan’s interests in the council. Other members of the Imperial Council have R I MM SIS CvariedO over time, but for the purpose of this committee, all delegates will be considered part of the Imperial Council. 1 Justin McCarthy, The Ottoman Turks: An Introductory History to 1923(New York: Routledge, 2013), 107.
    [Show full text]
  • 'A Reign of Terror'
    ‘A Reign of Terror’ CUP Rule in Diyarbekir Province, 1913-1923 Uğur Ü. Üngör University of Amsterdam, Department of History Master’s thesis ‘Holocaust and Genocide Studies’ June 2005 ‘A Reign of Terror’ CUP Rule in Diyarbekir Province, 1913-1923 Uğur Ü. Üngör University of Amsterdam Department of History Master’s thesis ‘Holocaust and Genocide Studies’ Supervisors: Prof. Johannes Houwink ten Cate, Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies Dr. Karel Berkhoff, Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies June 2005 2 Contents Preface 4 Introduction 6 1 ‘Turkey for the Turks’, 1913-1914 10 1.1 Crises in the Ottoman Empire 10 1.2 ‘Nationalization’ of the population 17 1.3 Diyarbekir province before World War I 21 1.4 Social relations between the groups 26 2 Persecution of Christian communities, 1915 33 2.1 Mobilization and war 33 2.2 The ‘reign of terror’ begins 39 2.3 ‘Burn, destroy, kill’ 48 2.4 Center and periphery 63 2.5 Widening and narrowing scopes of persecution 73 3 Deportations of Kurds and settlement of Muslims, 1916-1917 78 3.1 Deportations of Kurds, 1916 81 3.2 Settlement of Muslims, 1917 92 3.3 The aftermath of the war, 1918 95 3.4 The Kemalists take control, 1919-1923 101 4 Conclusion 110 Bibliography 116 Appendix 1: DH.ŞFR 64/39 130 Appendix 2: DH.ŞFR 87/40 132 Appendix 3: DH.ŞFR 86/45 134 Appendix 4: Family tree of Y.A. 136 Maps 138 3 Preface A little less than two decades ago, in my childhood, I became fascinated with violence, whether it was children bullying each other in school, fathers beating up their daughters for sneaking out on a date, or the omnipresent racism that I did not understand at the time.
    [Show full text]
  • The Reign of Violence
    CHAPTER THIRTEEN THE REIGN OF VIOLENCE The celalis c. I 5 50-I 700 --.... -- Oktay Ozel odern historiography depicts Ottoman history in the late sixteenth and early M seventeenth centuries as a period of crisis, generally associated with the eelali rebellions which occurred primarily in Anatolia and, to a lesser extent, northern Syria. l Discussion of eelali causes has centred largely around sixteenth-century political­ fiscal and economic-demographic developments. Recently added to the argument has been the agency problem of the predatory state, the nature of the overall transforma­ tion that the empire and society experienced in parallel with the eelali movements throughout the seventeenth century, and climatic changes. The present essay reassesses the issue in the light of new findings based on recently explored sources. It examines internal demographic, economic and political dynamics and conditions, as well as conjunctural factors in the I 590S which led marginalized groups within rural society, primarily the peasant masses, into a violent reaction in the form of banditry and rebel­ lion. A reconstruction of the historical context and causes is followed by discussion of the destructive character of [he eelali movements and its consequences in Anatolia, and of the nature of this violence as a phenomenon within Ottoman social history. The central argument of the essay is that the political-level analysis of the eelalis falls far short in understanding both the peculiarities of the historical process which prepared the ground for the eelali movements and [he extent of destructive violence throughout the seventeenth century. Banditry and occasional rebellions continued, transforming rural society, the economy and the ecological environment as well as leaving a legacy of institutionalized violence which became an inherent characteristic oflater Ottoman Anatolian society.
    [Show full text]
  • Southern Peloponnese Free
    FREE SOUTHERN PELOPONNESE PDF Michael Cullen | 136 pages | 15 Mar 2015 | Sunflower Books | 9781856914512 | English | London, United Kingdom What to see in southern Peloponnese? - Peloponnese Forum - Tripadvisor It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridge which separates the Gulf of Corinth from the Saronic Gulf. The peninsula is divided among three administrative regions : most belongs to the Peloponnese region, with smaller parts belonging to the West Greece and Attica regions. The Peloponnese is a peninsula that covers an area of some 21, It is connected to the mainland by the Isthmus of CorinthSouthern Peloponnese the Corinth Canal was constructed in However, it is also connected to the mainland by several bridges across the canal, including two submersible bridges at the north and the south Southern Peloponnese. Near the northern tip of the peninsula, there is another bridge, the Rio—Antirrio bridge completed Indeed, the Southern Peloponnese is rarely, if ever, referred to as an island. The peninsula has a mountainous interior and deeply indented coasts. The Peloponnese possesses four south-pointing peninsulas, the Messenianthe Manithe Cape Malea also known as Epidaurus Limeraand the Southern Peloponnese in the far northeast of the Peloponnese. The entire peninsula is earthquake prone and has been the site of many earthquakes in the past. Extensive lowlands are found only in the west, except for the Evrotas valley in the south and the Argolid in the northeast. Southern Peloponnese Peloponnese is home to numerous spectacular beaches, which are a major tourist draw. Two groups of islands lie off the Peloponnesian coast: the Argo-Saronic Islands to the east, and the Ionian to the west.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ottoman Policy Towards Non-Muslim Communities and Their Status in the Ottoman Empire During the 15Th & 16Th Centuries: Interaction of Civilizations Mughul, M
    2137 THE OTTOMAN POLICY TOWARDS NON-MUSLIM COMMUNITIES AND THEIR STATUS IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE DURING THE 15TH & 16TH CENTURIES: INTERACTION OF CIVILIZATIONS MUGHUL, M. Yakub* PAKİSTAN/PAKISTAN/ПАКИСТАН ABSTRACT This paper focuses on Ottomans liberal policy and tolerance towards the non- Muslims and other religious communities during 15th, 16th century. In particular, it explores the key role of Sultan Mohammad-II in consolidating and harmonizing different cultures and religions across Europe and Asia. The paper also addresses the Islamic attitude towards inter-religious relations, which was at that time quite unknown in rest of Europe, where they were burning its heretics at the stake, whereas races and religions coexisted under the Ottoman rule. It will highlight how the advent of Ottoman Rule in Eastern Europe brought the Muslim and European Civilizations face to face, which ultimately created an interaction among them. Finally, it will describe the image of the millet system introduced during this period, which brought all non-Muslim communities within the Turkish commonwealth, and allowed them to govern itself by its own laws and live in peace in the Ottoman Empire. Key Words: Ottoman, policy, Empire, Constantinople, Turkish, history. INTRODUCTION The Ottoman Empire1 would be defined as a mosaic of different cultures and religions, which provided peace and harmony among members of society without distinction between Muslim and non-Muslim, race, and color. The story of Ottoman history involves not only the Ottoman dynasty but the many peoples who ruled the Empire and were ruled by it: Turks, Arabs, Serbs, Greeks, Armenians, Jews, Bulgarians, Hungarians, Albanians, North Africans and others.
    [Show full text]