Ottoman Empire Research Articles

The Return of the Oppressed: Notes on Kurdish Anti-colonialism

Abstract This article critically examines the historical trajectory and contemporary manifestations of Kurdish anti-colonialism. The analysis unfolds in two parts, dissecting the intricate relationship between theory and action within the Kurdish struggle. The historical dimension delves into Ottoman-era Turkish-style colonization, elucidating the displacement strategies employed by the Ottoman state. The study underscores the delayed integration of the colonialism concept into the Kurdish intellectual framework, shedding light on the challenges faced by the oppressed in articulating their anti-colonial narrative. The second part scrutinizes the ideological challenges within the Kurdish anti-colonial discourse. The instrumental use of the slogan “Kurdistan is a colony” is explored, emphasizing the dominance of socialist objectives over national liberation aspirations. The impact of socialism and pan-Islamism on Kurdish politics and the linguistic complexities that obscure the colonial difference through language are examined. Contemporary dynamics, such as the Peace and Democracy Process and political violence, are analyzed to provide insights into the evolving nature of the Kurdish struggle. The resurgence of colonial theory within Kurdish society, particularly through techno-Kurdishness, is explored, highlighting the role of modern communication technologies in reshaping the narrative. The article concludes by reflecting on the potential of the Kurdish struggle to inspire global resistance movements.

Ottoman Bazaars in Anatolia and the Balkans

Bazaars were spaces that formed the center of the cities during the Ottoman period, had a certain order, and were shaped spatially and architecturally depending on the geographical-topographical characteristics and commercial potential of each city. Proximity to the citadels, connection with city gates and main roads, relations with Friday mosque and other public buildings in the city were the main factors shaping the bazaar spatially. In bazaars, where bedesten and khans, and in some cases covered bazaar-arastas, appeared on a building scale, shops that lined on open or covered streets formed the architecture of the bazaar. In addition to these, the sovereignty and order established by the state over trade during the Ottoman period, the institution of waqf, and the guilds of tradesmen also played a decisive role in the bazaar. With the bazaars examined, it is concluded that while administrative and commercial influences in the shaping of bazaars in Anatolian and Balkan cities during the Ottoman period created bazaar spaces with similar qualities, urban inputs led to the differentiation of bazaars in terms of scale, spatial and architectural qualities.

Development of the City of Nikšić through the Planning Documentation of Croatian Architects

The task of this work is to present three key urban plans, courtesy of which the city of Nikšić developed during its modern history. After liberation from the Ottoman Empire in 1877, Nikšić received its first regulatory plan, prepared by the architect Josip Slade Šilović (1828-1911) in 1883. The city developed according to this plan until the Second World War. After the Second World War, Montenegro became part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as a republic, and Nikšić became the city with the highest degree of urbanisation in that federation. This rapid urbanisation was directed by the second urban plan, carried out by the Urban Planning Institute of the Faculty of Architecture, Construction and Geodesy, Zagreb, in 1954-1958. The author of this plan was the professor and architect, Josip Seissel (1904-1987). The third urban plan of importance for the city was carried out by the Urban Planning Institute of Croatia, Zagreb, in 1984 and was adopted in 1986. This urban plan enabled a logical upgrade of the previous two plans. A result of these three urban plans by Croatian architects is Nikšić’s unique form and urban identity.

An Authentic Example of Ottoman-Era Wooden Summerhouses; Cemil Topuzlu Kiosk

The beginning of the 18th century is known as the “Westernization Period” in Ottoman architecture. It was in this period that Western-born architectural movements found their way into the Ottoman Empire. This was also a time in which new types of structures emerged in Ottoman architecture as the Western influence continued to permeate both religious and civil architecture. This impact also affected the Ottoman culture of housing, leading to important changes in residential structures. The new cultural elements arriving from the West began to be apparent in the plans, facades, interiors, and decorative components of the homes of the affluent, most of which were built by Western architects. This was a time in which lifestyles were changing, and especially in the capital of Istanbul, a rich assortment of residential architecture was expressed in styles that included the Neo-Baroque, Neo-Gothic, Orientalism, Art Nouveau, Eclecticism, Swiss Châlet, and Late Victorian. One of the new types of structures that appeared in this period was the summerhouse. While these houses belonged to the wealthy Ottoman elite and reflected the traditional Ottoman residential fabric in their plans and styles, a large number carried the architectural characteristics of the summerhouses and mansions of the West. The aim of this article is to describe an authentic example of the group of wooden summerhouses that were outstanding products of Ottoman residential architecture in the 19th century, at a time when the Empire’s cultural norms were turning toward the West. The characteristics of the plans of these buildings, the configuration of their facades and decorative elements will be presented, as will other information on the wooden summerhouses of the period.

Identity, Clothing, and Criminal Mobility in Early Modern Ottoman Society

In the early modern Ottoman Empire, social identity was closely tied to a hierarchical structure, with the sultanate occupying the highest tier and ordinary subjects positioned at the lower end. Empire’s inhabitants were divided into groups based on the style and color of their clothes. By dressing in clothing from a different gender, socioeconomic class, or ethnoreligious group, one could disguise their true identity and social status. This article endeavors to unveil the motivations that compelled ordinary people to employ clothing as a means to conceal their involvement in criminal activities. Furthermore, it investigates the constraints associated with common identity-altering practices, particularly from the vantage points of religion, gender, and intersectionality. Drawing from an array of archival sources such as mühimme records, chronicles, manuscripts, and qadi court registers, the article scrutinizes the consequences of these practices.

Tanzimat Reforms and the Ottoman Empire’s Reaction to Western Powers, 1839-1876

The Ottoman Empire entered the 19th century under pressure to preserve its existence against Western powers. Dismissing the illusions of past superiority, the Ottoman court acknowledged that reforms had to be instituted to end the Empire’s long-time stagnation and instability. The Tanzimat reform movement was the most significant reaction of the Ottoman Empire to the Western powers during the period between 1839 and 1876. During the Tanzimat period, all aspects of the empire were reshaped in a new way with certain success. Through Tanzimat, the Ottoman Empire continued to preserve its position as one of the major powers of the European political order, re-established its autonomy in domestic affairs, and successfully defended its sovereignty in many disputed regions with considerable might against a powerful emerging West.

Between cities and villages: the livestock economy in historical Palestine

This study aims at establishing a historically based model of animal husbandry in urban and rural settlements, in the Southern Levant. This type of model is required in the field of zooarchaeology, to better analyze and study ancient faunal remains. It also applies a non-traditional method to study and differentiate between urban and rural economies. For this aim, we used British Mandate tax files and village statistics. These are the best available historical documents for this period, that recorded herds management statistics in all settlements of Palestine. We selected only settlements inhabited by the indigenous population and divided the data into four environmental regions. We analyzed the livestock abundance and herd demography in each region. Each urban center was considered independently, while the rural villages were classified into three groups, based on the most common livestock (cattle, sheep, or goats). Results show economic variations between urban and rural settlements as well as regional trends, such as in pastoralism and agricultural management. In addition, meat industries were common in most urban centers, being the primary difference from rural economies. We applied this model to two large zooarchaeological case studies, dating from the Early Islamic to the Ottoman period; Mount Zion, located in the urban city of Jerusalem, and Tel Beth Shemesh (East), whose size and nature were not historically recorded. We found that the economic variations reflected in the model were also present in the faunal assemblages.

The Tragedy of Humanity: Christopher Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta Revisited

Christopher Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta is a significant example of the transition from Morality Plays to a period of more developed and mature drama in the Elizabethan period. The themes that Marlowe handles and the protagonist he presents in the play emerge as aspects of a distinctive approach to dramatic representation and the concept of drama of that time. The play is set against the background of the struggle for economic, political, and military dominance between the Catholic Spain and Moslem Ottoman Empires and the Catholic administration and Jewish mercantile class in Malta. Religious conflicts and bigotry, intrigues, betrayals, and revenge plans committed by almost all characters representing different religious communities, ethnic prejudices that affect not only individuals but also the whole society, greed, and moral corruption emerge as the basic themes. Although the full title of the play was Famous Tragedy of the Rich Jew of Malta, the play could not gain the status of a tragedy in the Aristotelian or Elizabethan sense of the word for many critics due to its dominant farcical characteristics. For a modern reader, however, The Jew of Malta can be considered as a satirical tragedy, the tragedy not of the protagonist Barabas, but of humanity that craves material benefits and political power, and for the sake of achieving these, commits all kinds of villanies including exploitation, theft, and murder, and as a result, socially experiences the fall of the tragic hero.

The Role of Armenian Forces in the Defense of Tabriz (September 1724)

This study delves into the hitherto unexplored involvement of Armenian troops in the defense of Tabriz in 1724, drawing on an extensive analysis of historical materials. In 1723-1724, the Ottoman Empire launched invasions into Safavid Iran from several directions. By September 1724, one Ottoman army, led by Abdullah Pasha of Van, advanced towards Tabriz and attempted to storm the city. During the ensuing battle, the Turkish forces were soundly defeated and driven back, suffering approximately 20,000 casualties. European sources emphasize the significant role played by Armenian military units in the decisive victory at the Battle of Tabriz, the sole triumph for Persian forces during the 1724 campaign. Notably, the majority of these units arrived from Karabakh. The Armenian troops were instrumental in virtually annihilating the elite Janissary corps within Abdullah Pasha's army. This article identifies the Armenian detachments involved in the defense of Tabriz, listing their commanders: Parsadan-bek, Melik-Egan, Pilibek Basaurov, David, Abidjan, Aghajan, Akhnazar, Balig, among others.

Intersubjectivity as an analytical concept to study human-animal interaction in historical context: street dogs in Late Ottoman period.

Human knowledge pertaining to human-animal interaction is constructed by the human author, albeit the presence of animal subjects. Such a human lens is pronounced when studying human-animal interactions across history, whose nonhuman animal subjects are not only absent, and therefore eliminating the possibility of conducting empirical studies in situ, but also their experiences are filtered by the interpretative lens of human authors of extant historical accounts as well as contemporary human analysts who interpret these accounts. This article draws upon such epistemological limitations of understanding nonhuman animal presence in historical accounts and offers human-animal intersubjectivity as an analytical concept, involving generative iterability and indistinctive boundaries that emphasise intersubjective openness and relationality, to trace and disclose the continuity of human-animal co-existence. The article's historical scope is the Late Ottoman period characterised by a sense of temporal and spatial disorientation and reorientation for humans as well as street dogs during its modernisation processes.

Striving for National Identity: Syrian and Iraqi Turkomans in Search of a Homeland

The Turkomans are considered to be the integral part of a political space often reflexively labeled as “Turkic World.” Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Turkoman communities in Syria and Iraq have undergone a complex evolution leading to their current status as politically organized distinct ethnic groups. This transformation has been predetermined by the policies of the colonial powers and the rise of Arab nationalism that was aimed to establish the united “Arab Homeland.” It was only with the decline of Baathist regimes that Turkomans started to gain political recognition. How have the Turkomans in Syria and Iraq evolved culturally and politically over time? Do they perceive their future as being closely linked to their Arab “host” countries, or do they harbor aspirations of coming back to their historical Turkic legacy? What support do they receive from Turkey, and what is offered by Syrian and Iraqi authorities? We have analyzed the Turkoman issue through a structural and identity-based lens, examining how these communities have navigated their relationships with the Arab states they reside in and their historical ties to Turkey. The framework proposed by R. Brubaker, which examines the interactions between marginalized ethnic minorities, nationalizing states, and external homelands, provides a valuable tool for understanding the complex dynamics involving Turkoman communities in Syria and Iraq. The research findings indicate that Turkoman identity remains robust, albeit with a notable shift towards a more inclusive national-state dimension. Despite constituting a minority group, Turkomans in both countries are actively advocating for recognition within society and asserting their cultural rights. The primary Turkoman political factions in both countries have garnered backing from Turkey, although the nature of this support is complex. In Iraq, Turkomans are inclined towards seeking Turkish patronage while also demonstrating a willingness to engage with the Iraqi government. Conversely, in Syria, Turkomans residing along the border have successfully established a self-governing region with the Turkey’s assistance. Furthermore, a segment of Turkomans place emphasis on their religious affiliations, such as identifying as Shiite or Alawite.

The Origins of Armenian Lobbying in the United States: A Geopolitical Conceptualization of Restorative Justice

This paper focuses on the origins of Armenian lobbying the U.S. government for favourable policies toward the Armenian cause in the homeland — that is, Ottoman Armenia and the Republic of Armenia (1918-1921). Vahan Cardashian, a New York lawyer, organized a lobbying campaign during and after the Young Turk genocide against the Armenian people in the Ottoman Empire (1915–1923). He and his associates formulated a geopolitical conceptualization of restorative justice. While Cardashian’s lobbying campaign eventually failed to exert the desired influence on U.S. policy during the Wilson administration, his strategy nevertheless established the foundations for Armenian lobbying in the United States for successive generations. This article seeks to contribute to the literature on ethnicity and ethnic lobbying a host state — in this case the United States — diasporan community and politics, and restorative justice.

Forty-Eight Years in Ottoman Service: General Inspector of Quarantines Dr Bartoletti Efendi and His Activities [1840-1888

Foreign specialists were employed in the Ottoman Empire's health services, particularly during the 18th century onwards. The Ottomans required international cooperation to implement reforms to combat epidemics during the global epidemics of the 19th century. As a result, many foreign physicians joined the Ottoman medicine service. Therefore, numerous foreign physicians began serving with the central health organization in Istanbul and the quarantine units established in the provinces. Some physicians made significant contributions to the Ottoman sanitary administration through their positions, time in Ottoman service, and activities. Dr Bartoletti, who was born in Istanbul in 1808, was one of these specialists. After medical education in Italy, he started his Ottoman service as a quarantine doctor and became a member of the Sanitary Council. He also represented the Ottoman Empire at the international medical conferences held in Paris, Istanbul and Vienna and performed important duties in Ottoman sanitary affairs during his forty-four years of service. By examining Dr Bartoletti's activities between 1840 and 1888, this study aims to contribute to the existing literature on this field.

Late Ottoman Empire reforms: the musical policies of Sultan Mahmud II

ABSTRACT With the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution, European nations made rapid progress in the fields of law, education, culture, army and economics, the fields that constitute the building blocks of states. The Ottoman Empire also embarked on reforms in order to catch up with Europe’s progress. The reforms introduced by Sultan Selim III in a variety of fields were made more comprehensive by Sultan Mahmud II. This study describes Sultan Mahmud II’s policies in the field of music. It reviews the relevant literature and historical documents from the Pera Museum, the Topkapı Palace Museum Archive and the Istanbul Rare Works Library Archive. This study found that Sultan Mahmud II implemented reform policies for music such as abolishing the Mehterhane, establishing the Muzika-i Humayun, using official anthems, hosting foreign musicians, providing members of the palace with education in Western music, having the bands participate in official ceremonies, and encouraging opera and theater.

From the New Order to the Benevolent Event – Making Children’s Education Compulsory in the Ottoman Empire, 1808 – 1826

Sultan Mahmud II's era witnessed a gradual transition of the centuries-old classical Ottoman education system that was controlled by the ulama into a state administration by the announcement of an imperial decree in 1824. Although this significant change was the third in Europe, it has not been a specific topic for academic research so far. As the documents from the Ottoman archives confirm, the Sultan's efforts concerning children's basic education began almost a decade earlier. He was concerned about the deteriorating quality of the education system. Based on the primary sources, this study aims to portray the historical background and the official transfer of children's education under state control. This decree did not only make children's education compulsory but also displayed families' bad habit of letting little children work instead of sending them to school. According to the imperial decree, children started working at a very early age and did not learn the basics of their religion, and when they grew up, they did not go and educate themselves either. Sultan instructed authorities to prevent child labor and ensure children attended schools learning the basics of their religion. In effect, children's education became the collective responsibility of not only the families but also imams, school teachers, neighborhood administrators, and judges.

The Waqf of Nûrî Bimaristan in Aleppo in the Mid-16th Century

Aleppo has been home to many civilisations, and especially during Zangid, Ayyubid, Mamluk and Ottoman periods, many waqf works were built in the city. One of these buildings, the Bimaristan of Nūrī, was built by Nūr al-Dīn Mahmud, one of the Zangid rulers. This hospital which was known as the Bimaristan of Nurī or the Bimaristan of Nūr al-Dīn Şehīd, was also known as “Bīmāristan-ı ‘Atīq” because a second bimaristan named Ergûn Kâmil was built in the city later on. In this bimaristan, patients were treated free of charge and their medication costs were covered by the waqf budget. In this study, after providing information about bimaristans, the Bimaristan of Nūrī and its founder Nūr al-Dīn Zangi, the waqf assets of the Bimaristan of Nūrī and their income amounts in the Mid-16th century, the waqf and hospital staff, their salaries and other expense items of the waqf are emphasised. The main sources of this study, which aims to reveal the importance of bimaristans in general and the Bimaristan of Nūrī in Aleppo in particular in terms of the history of medicine and architecture and its operating model, are the Aleppo awqaf registers in various funds with waqfs records in the Ottoman Archives.

Holocene alluvial dynamics, soil erosion and settlement in the uplands of Macedonia (Greece): New geoarchaeological insights from Xerolakkos in Grevena

This paper addresses the interplay between Holocene landscape evolution and human settlement dynamics, drawing new evidence from the alluvial history of Xerolakkos, a continental stream in Grevena (Western Macedonia, Greece). We developed an integrated geoarchaeological survey combining remote sensing geomorphological mapping, litho-stratigraphic analysis and radiocarbon dating with the site evidence of a new archaeological survey. Results revealed four major alluviation phases, corresponding to 1) the beginning of the Holocene until the Early Neolithic (∼6300/6200 BCE), 2) the end of the Early and the Middle Neolithic (∼6000–5400 BCE), 3) from the Middle Bronze Age to the Late Roman period (∼1800 BCE – 500 CE), and 4) during the Byzantine and Ottoman eras (∼500–1800 CE), all separated by phases of floodplain incision. Furthermore, the effects of several Holocene Rapid Climatic Changes (RCC) are traced and discussed together with potential human responses; we also provide the first alluvial sequence recording the ∼6200 BCE (8.2 kyr BP) event in the Balkans. While the climate and the local geomorphological setting are considered the primary drivers behind instability and erosion during the Early and Middle Holocene, a landscape change starting in the Middle Bronze Age (after ∼1800 BCE) followed by a re-organisation of the rural economy in the Roman period suggests the increasing involvement of anthropogenic forcing which, by the Ottoman period, evolved into a dynamic situation between climatic variability and adaptive land management. Finally, we demonstrate how soil erosion in the upper catchment constitutes a serious taphonomic bias when studying the regional archaeological record.

Famine and Childhood: Ottoman Children’s Experiences during the Famine of 1873-1875

This article explores the unique experiences of children who lived in a famine-affected region of Central Anatolia between 1873 and 1875. The deplorable conditions forced some children to consume inappropriate foods, be traded for bread, be abandoned during migration, or be subjected to exploitation and domestic servitude. The article emphasizes the contrast between child-rearing practices and the concept of childhood in the Central Anatolian region and urban areas of the period. This challenges the prevailing emphasis in previous studies that have primarily examined urban children during the period of peace. Emphasizing the famine of 1873–1875, the research underscores that the concept of childhood and the material culture developed and adopted by urban families of the period under the effect of modernization were not observed in Central Anatolia. Thus, it is suggested that examining childhood in the Ottoman Empire necessitates a periodical and regional methodology that considers the socioeconomic and cultural variations that influenced the experiences of children in various regions and eras. In addition, the article delves into the Ottoman government’s response to the famine. The article addresses these issues by comprehensively examining Ottoman archival sources, periodicals and gazettes, together with contemporary accounts and reports from the famine period.

Türkiye’s Military Base in Somalia: A Case Study

At the present stage the Republic of Türkiye is all the more actively claiming the role of a regional leader and at the same time, using the favourable geopolitical position at the junction of two civilizations, seeks to strengthen influence in global politics. The statehood of independent states is impossible without strengthening their own security, and that allows for the development of international military dialogue. Türkiye as a world power is to restore its prosperity from the times of the Ottoman Empire. Best evidence is the creation of Turkish military bases beyond its national borders. Moreover, such actions of the Turkish leadership are considered not only a political ambition but also a pragmatic calculation. First overseas military base of Türkiye in modern times was created in one of the most turbulent countries in the world – Somalia. Currently, Türkiye has a military presence in Somalia. Hence, this study examined the main stages of bilateral relations between Türkiye and Somalia. Relations between the two countries have passed a certain historical path of development and have been characterized by periods of activation revival also stagnation. It was concluded that despite the fact that political, economic and military cooperation between Türkiye and Somalia had huge potential, there were some of constraining factors affecting their further development.

DYNAMICS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MAMLUK DYNASTY IN THE HISTORY OF ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

The development of the Mamluk dynasty is not widely highlighted in the study of Islamic history, even though this dynasty played a role in Islamic historical civilization. This makes it urgent to carry out further research aimed at uncovering the development of the Mamluk Dynasty. This research method is descriptive qualitative research using literature study techniques. The findings show that in the development of the Mamluk Dynasty there were two main periods, namely the Mamluk Bahri and Mamluk Burji periods. Factors that supported the rise of the Mamluk dynasty were the ability to withstand attacks by Hulugu troops and the Crusaders, utilizing geographical factors to engage in international trade, and establishing good relations with European countries to increase wealth and reputation. Factors that caused the collapse of the Mamluk dynasty were internal conflicts such as competition for power, instability in government policies, economic problems such as corruption, economic crises and inflation. The weakening of the Mamluk Dynasty's power resulted in the loss of its territory so that it was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. In this case, the existence of the Mamluk dynasty is known to have had a significant impact on Islamic historical civilization, namely being the only dynasty that maintained Islamic culture when the Arabs declined and supported the progress of Islamic science. It is hoped that these findings can increase insight and understanding that the Mamluk Dynasty also played an important role in the history of Islamic civilization.