StateSociety Relations in the Ottoman era: A very brief overview

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State-Society Relations in the Ottoman era A
very brief overview
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Ottoman basics who, what, when

• One of the worlds biggest and longest-lived
  empires
• 1300-1918
• Muslim Turkish dynasty Osmanlilar
• Territory from Europe to N. Africa

The fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans, 1453.
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Mehmet II departs for Constantinople
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Map of the Ottoman Empire at its height
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Ottoman Empire and Tributary States, 1566 to 1700
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Basic Ottoman State Functions

• Defend the borders of the empire
• Protect the faith
•  Collect taxes
• Maintain public peace

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How does this differ from the function of modern
states?
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State-society relations, in a nutshell

• multi-ethnic empire
• State did NOT attempt to create cultural
  conformity.
• Ruling classes from many ethnic groups and
  religions
• multi-lingual empire
• Main language at court Ottoman Turkish
• Also Arabic, Persian
• Everyday language your choice
• Decentralized
• State largely ruled through governors and local
  notable families
• Large amounts of local autonomy
• Center-periphery relations rather than horizontal
  between communities

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Linking State and Society

• Taxes and land
• Tax farming
• Nearly all land owned by the state (until
  18th-19th c.)
• Religious institutes and religious frameworks
• Islam as a unifying medium
• Justice state-society compact
• Administration
• state-provincial relations

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Status of non-Muslims under Ottoman rule

• Superior legal status accorded to Muslims
• Dhimmis special protection for people of the
  book
• Special taxes
• Some restrictions on building, etc.
• The Millet system
• Semi-autonomous religious communities (Greeks,
  Armenians, Jews)

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How does this compare to the treatment of
religious minorities in Europe at this time?
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Basic divisions in society not between
ethnic/religious groups but between the ruling
class (Asker) the ruled (reaya, the flock)
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Asker (ruling classes)

• Sultan/Caliph
• Vizier and Pasha
• Bureaucracy/civil service
• Local notables (ayan)
• Ulema Muslim religious elite
• Military Janissaries (paid standing army loyal
  to Sultan)

An Ottoman cavalry man in the late 17th century.
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Society, and other reps of state

• Settled peasants and villagers
• Tribes
• Some nomadic, some settled
• Prominent families
• scholars and clerics
• Sufi brotherhoods (tarikat)
• Merchants, Guilds

• Other Ottoman officials in the provinces
  judges, governors, financial officials, rural
  police

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Diversity in Dress Images of women from the late
Ottoman Empire. From Racinets Historic Costume.
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Sixteenth century war prisoners and the condemned
being marched to prison at Topkapi Palace.
Source http//www2.egenet.com.tr/mastersj/encycl
opedia-c.html
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3 phases of Ottoman state-society relations

• 1.   Rise, expansion, and consolidation of
  Ottoman state, 1300-1683
• 2. transformation of the state and territorial
  retraction,  1683-1798
• State withdrawal from social life.
• Many provinces virtually autonomous.
• 3. Long 19th century, 1798-1918