Ottoman Empire Research Articles

Turcophile, Religious Zealot, and Rebel: The Hungarian Noble Pál Szepessy's Encounters with Grand Vizier Ahmed Köprülü (1661–76)

Abstract Pál Szepessy (1636–1685), a Calvinist noble, dedicated his life to the goal of turning Habsburg Hungary into an Ottoman vassal state. He spent much time in the Ottoman world, met with Grand Vizier Ahmed Köprülü (r. 1661–76) on at least four occasions, and regularly visited other Ottoman dignitaries. Szepessy outlined the traumatic effects of Habsburg military occupation and Counter-Reformation on Hungarian society. He was driven by the conviction that God had chosen the Ottomans as his avengers to liberate Hungary from the yoke of the Austrian Antichrist. Szepessy won Köprülü's support for armed uprisings and a guerilla war against the Habsburgs. He also influenced the grand vizier's decision to end the Polish-Ottoman war (1672–76) and turn the Ottoman army against the Habsburg Empire. When Köprülü died in November 1676, the blueprints for Habsburg Hungary's defection to the Ottoman Empire were already in place. They were reactivated by Kara Mustafa in 1682–83. Szepessy's initiatives (and similar efforts by other Hungarians) have been ignored by scholarship; their traces remain dispersed in the Austrian and Hungarian archives. My research draws on Szepessy's appeals to Köprülü; his correspondence with fellow Protestant nobles, family, and Transylvanian supporters; reports of Habsburg spies; dispatches of Habsburg residents at the Porte; and deliberations of the Habsburg War Council. Taken together these sources open a window on the life of an important trans-imperial subject whose life throws into question the clash of civilizations narrative that still dominates much of Habsburg and Central European historical studies.

Evolution of Women Entrepreneurship in Turkey: Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Perspectives

This paper explores the dynamic landscape of women entrepreneurship in Turkey, highlighting its historical roots and the progress made over the decades, while also identifying persisting challenges and emerging opportunities. Women's entrepreneurship in Turkey, historically constrained by social and cultural barriers, has evolved significantly from the Ottoman era to the present day. This evolution has been influenced by major political and economic shifts, including the liberalization policies of the 1980s and recent digital transformations, which have expanded the scope for women's entrepreneurial ventures. Despite these advances, women entrepreneurs continue to face significant hurdles such as access to finance, societal gender roles, and limited networking opportunities. However, evolving government policies, international collaborations, and the increasing digitization of the economy present new opportunities for growth and integration into global markets. The study employs a comprehensive analysis of historical data, current statistics from the Turkish Statistical Institute, and literature reviews to offer a nuanced understanding of the trajectory of women's entrepreneurship. This paper aims to contribute to the discourse on gender equality and economic empowerment in Turkey, providing insights that could inform policy and entrepreneurial practice in the region.

Ágoston, Gábor. The Last Muslim Conquest: The Ottoman Empire and Its Wars in Europe. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2021, XV+664 Sayfa

Bu yazı Gábor Ágoston’un Osmanlı’nın savaş stratejisi, askerî teknolojisi, sefer lojistiği ve diplomasisi ile istihbarat edinme tekniklerini, Osmanlı ve Habsburg imparatorlukları özelinde ve daha geniş bir bağlamda incelediği The Last Muslim Conquest: The Ottoman Empire and Its Wars in Europe (Son Müslüman Fethi: Osmanlı İmparatorluğu ve Avrupa’daki Savaşları) adlı kitabının incelemesidir. Eserin önemli hedeflerinden biri, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun bilhassa Balkanlar özelinde Avrupa’yı nasıl şekillendirdiğini ortaya koymaktır. Kitap, Osmanlı tarihçilerinin, tarih öğrencilerinin ve ilgililerinin baş ucu kaynağı olacaktır.

Outliving an Empire: Mehmed Ziya, the Former Ottoman Bureaucrat, and His Pension Claim across Post-Ottoman Lebanon and Cyprus in the 1920s

This article examines how a former Ottoman bureaucrat claimed his retirement pension in interactions with state officials in post-Ottoman Turkey, Syria–Lebanon and Cyprus in the 1920s. Born in Cyprus in 1856 and in Ottoman state service for more than three decades until 1916, Mehmed Ziya had to make renewed efforts to continue receiving his pension until he died in 1936. His troubles were largely due to the need to reconfigure enduring links to the Ottoman state amidst state succession after the First World War. I focus mainly on the diplomatic and administrative correspondence generated by Ziya's initiatives to examine how he sought to address a pressing, quotidian problem. I stress that nationality, as a pivotal category in the reconfiguration of state–subject relations in former imperial domains, played a key role in shaping how Ziya outlived his empire.

KONSEP DAN PERKEMBANGAN EKONOMI ISLAM PADA MASA TURKI USMANI

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the development of the Islamic economy during the Ottoman Empire. Design/methodology/approach: The research method used in this research is library research. The data used is secondary data obtained from relevant sources, books, journals and so on. Findings: Ottoman Türkiye paid more attention to progress in the political and military fields. In this way, economic and financial conditions contributed to the development of Islam in the Ottoman Empire. Islamic economics during the Ottoman Empire reflected the integration of Islamic economic principles with practical economic practices and effective administration. So, according to researchers of the Ottoman Empire, it is very interesting to study in order to find out how the concept and development of Islamic economics was during the Ottoman Empire. Research implications: The implications of the development of the Islamic economy during the Ottoman Empire include:Expansion of Trade Networks: The Ottoman Empire's strategic location bridged East and West, facilitating extensive trade networks that promoted economic growth and cultural exchange.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s Leadership and Communication Skills

Leadership refers to the ability and capacity to direct, inspire and influence individuals or groups to achieve a common goal. However, leadership is a multifaceted concept that covers a wide range of qualities, behaviors and communication skills exhibited by individuals who are in a position of authority and naturally assume the leadership role. Communication skills are the ability to effectively and efficiently convey information, thoughts, ideas and feelings to others through verbal, non-verbal, written or visual elements. The combination of these components brings success in both personal and social interactions. One of the factors behind the success of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who built a modern, democratic and secular nation-state from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire, is that he had both leadership and effective communication qualities. Atatürk has always been an example to both his nation and the world with these qualities. These talents of his were instrumental in shaping modern Turkey, in putting forward the vision of the nation, in implementing bold reforms, in building a state after struggles and in instilling a sense of national unity and solidarity. Turkish people has made him a national hero while being respected by the world. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's intellectual, political, charismatic, transformative, democratic and autocratic leadership types and his communication skills. In order to determine the above-mentioned characteristics, firstly, Atatürk's life and some of the revolutions he made were included. Then, in order to determine his leadership characteristics, his actions in the context of leadership theories were discussed. Afterwards, some of their behaviours were examined within the scope of basic communication skills in order to understand their communication skills. In the study, the descriptive research method, which is a method that aims to reveal the relationships between events by evaluating existing or past information in line with standards, was used. As a result of the examination, it was concluded that Atatürk had all of the basic leadership qualities and effective communication skills.

Studies on Ottoman Sherbets from the Past to Present

Sherbet, a beverage with a rich historical significance in Turkish culinary culture, traces its origins to the Turks of Central Asia. However, its popularity experienced a significant decline during the 1960s with the rise of the beverage industry. This traditional drink, once widely consumed in the Ottoman Empire, has since been overshadowed by carbonated beverages and tea. Factors such as the enhanced refreshing sensation of carbonated beverages, their constant availability, extended shelf life, and consistent flavor contribute to this shift. This study underscores the ancient origins of sherbet and its considerable impact on cultural life, particularly during the Ottoman Empire. Additionally, it examines sherbets made during the Ottoman period from a food technology perspective, incorporating production recipes for 25 different sherbets for potential contemporary commercial use. Moreover, the study compiles recent scientific investigations on newly produced sherbets, including their production techniques and bioactive properties. The primary aim of this study is to contribute to reproducing the most popular sherbets consumed during the Ottoman period using modern production and preservation techniques, making them accessible to the public.

Chechen Diaspora in the countries of the Middle East: on the issue of generational continuity and socio-political dynamics of communities

The article is concerned with little-studied dynamics of the Chechen and, more broadly, North Caucasian Diaspora in Jordan, Syria and Turkey, starting with the emergence of these communities in the 19th century during the era of the Ottoman Empire. The article traces a slow change in the character of these diasporic communities from the “exodus” from the Russian Empire to the building up of international relations with the Chechen Republic in the 21st century on the basis of “cultural similarity” and the importance of the idea of an ideal ancestral home. The article argues that the Diaspora changed its character from a refugee Diaspora to an imperial Diaspora during the Ottoman Empire, and then became a “cultural Diaspora” with predominant narratives of cultural and geographical proximity with the country of origin a century after the resettlement. The article also argues that cultural and geographical similarity leads to the importance of ethnopolitical factor in international relations and diasporic politics.

The Origins of Reinforced Concrete Interventions to Historic Structures in Turkey

ABSTRACT Reinforced concrete interventions have been a critical issue for restorations in the field of conservation since the early twentieth century. Until the twenty-first century, cement-containing interventions could be seen in almost all restorations in Turkey. There are even examples of monumental buildings whose structural systems have been converted to reinforced concrete. However, in more recent years in Turkey, reconstructions with echoes of stylistic unity began to emerge, with less of a focus on preservation and without consideration of the documentary value of the reinforced concrete used in the strengthening interventions of the twentieth century. From a structural viewpoint, it is necessary to assess whether mixed structures of reinforced concrete and masonry work well. From a conservation viewpoint, despite negative perceptions of reinforced concrete, these historic interventions have avoided confusion or falsification where the precise original nature of the structure is unknown. With these remarks in mind, this study describes the origins of reinforced concrete interventions in conservation in Turkey. It provides a general framework of the concept of interventions for strengthening and preservation at the intersection of reinforced concrete, earthquakes, codes, and conservation theories by tracking experiences with reinforced concrete from the Ottoman Empire to the early years of the Republic of Turkey.

The Conciliarist Idea of Islam in the Quattrocento—Prelude and Legacy

This contribution intends to examine the impact of Conciliarism (1414–1439) on the Christian vision of Islam in the Quattrocento. The analysis of the thought of bishops such as Nicholas of Cusa (d. 1464) and John of Segovia (d. 1458) is understandable only through the evolution of the Latin world with regard to Islam, moving from the Corpus Toletanum (12th century) and the impact of the Crusades in the Levant (1096–1291) and in Europe. This forwardness is rooted in the process of “Islamic Christianization,” an analytical operation lasting three centuries, during which Koranic Christology was to play a primary role. It will be through this “Christ-centric” process that from the Renaissance, the Ottoman empire, the great enemy of Western Christianity, will be appreciated for some of its peculiar facets. The weakening of the concept of heresy and of Catholic ecclesiastical authoritarianism in decreeing what heresy was probably one of the “indirect” outcomes of that dialogical “Moment of Vision” between Christianity and Islam. The further fragmentation of the Church of Rome, after the failure of Conciliarism and the outgrowth of the reformed Churches in the 16th century, favored a preliminary different understanding of the religiosity of others.

CAN NACAR. Labor and Power in the Late Ottoman Empire: Tobacco Workers, Managers, and the State, 1872-1912 (Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave MacMillan, 2019). 202pp. $99.00 cloth. ISBN 9783030315580; also in paper ($16.99) and as an e-book ($16.99).

CAN NACAR. Labor and Power in the Late Ottoman Empire: Tobacco Workers, Managers, and the State, 1872-1912 (Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave MacMillan, 2019). 202pp. $99.00 cloth. ISBN 9783030315580; also in paper ($16.99) and as an e-book ($16.99).

Empire of Refugees: North Caucasian Muslims and the Late Ottoman State, written by Vladimir Hamed-Troyansky

Empire of Refugees: North Caucasian Muslims and the Late Ottoman State, written by Vladimir Hamed-Troyansky

Nil Tekgül, Emotions in the Ottoman Empire: Politics, Society and Family in the Early Modern Era

The study of the history of emotions has blossomed since the year 2000, but there has been a pronounced western focus to much of it, and that trend remains. Books such as Tekgül’s are therefore especially welcome in the field for they serve multiple significant functions in the broader historiography. What is most valuable here are the glimpses at a sense of relationality within the emotional regime.

Unsuccessful Peace-making: the Mission of Francesco da Collo and Antonio de Conti to Moscow (1518-1519)

This article explores the peace mission of Francesco da Collo and Antonio de Conti, envoys of Emperor Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire, to Grand Prince Vasily III of Moscow in 1518–1519. The mission aimed to mediate between Moscow and the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth, seeking to align both states for a planned united Christian campaign against the Ottoman Empire, whose expansion in Southeastern Europe posed a serious threat. The study centers on da Collo’s report from the mission, which not only chronicles the negotiations but also provides rare insights into Russian diplomacy and courtly traditions of the early 16th century. The article underscores the critical role of ceremonial practices, such as receptions, banquets, and hunts, in the diplomatic culture of the period.Particular focus is given to da Collo's accounts of his interactions with Vasily III and his entourage, highlighting the crucial importance of personal meetings and informal contacts in the diplomatic process of the time. Despite the envoys' efforts, the mission achieved only a temporary one-year truce, with insurmountable barriers to a comprehensive peace including territorial disputes—especially over the control of Smolensk—and the issue of repatriating Russian prisoners of war from Poland.Furthermore, da Collo’s report serves as an early illustration of how Muscovy was constructed as an eastern, despotic power, offering one of the first examples of Russia being depicted as the “Other” in early modern European thought. The study sheds light on the complex dynamics of diplomacy in this era and reveals how these interactions contributed to the broader European perception of Russia as an alien and adversarial state.

«МЫ ПОСЕЛЕНЫ МЕЖДУ ГОР…»: К ИСТОРИИ СЕЛА БАЛТА-ЧОКРАК В ЮГО-ЗАПАДНОМ КРЫМУ В КОНЦЕ XVIII – ХХ ВВ.

This article presents the history of the population of the village of Balta-Chokrak with the Southwestern Crimea, a settlement with different ethnic composition. Until the beginning of the XIX century, the village was inhabited by the Crimean Tatars, but subsequently Balta-Chokrak and its agricultural territories (cultural landscape) are bought to the treasury from the noblewoman Kalitsa Ivanovna Mazganina. After the Crimean Tatars leave the village and travel to the Ottoman Empire, a colony from Greek families who came from Anatolia is founded here. Instead of the mosque that existed in Balta-Chokrak Greek colonists build a church, and begin to actively develop agriculture. What is important, the article on the basis of archival documents and field research for the first time gave a reconstruction of the Crimean Tatar stage of the history of the village, presents the peculiarities of the structure of new immigrants, the difficulties that they had to face in a new place. The point of view established in historiography about Balta-Chokrak as a Greek-Bulgarian colony was also questioned and the features of the composition of the cultural landscape of Balta-Chokrak were revealed, the history of the construction in 1818 and subsequent rebuilding of the Panteleimon Church and the spiritual life of the colonists were detailed.

Commodity production and African migration to Turkey, Now and in the premodern past

African Migration in Turkey is an under-researched area despite the long history of migration between West Africa and the Ottoman Empire and the large number of African migrants in Turkey. The connection of this historical and contemporary migration movement with commodity production reveals not only the basic dynamics and patterns but also the global character of this mobility. While the flow of labor and commodities between Africa and Turkey continues, especially with Turkey's new Africa policy after 2002, African migrants are also implementing their own interests and agendas. Thus, an interdisciplinary approach encompassing history, economics, and anthropology reveals intertwined transformations and networks that provide a perspective for historical changes.

II. Péter brazil császár szerepe a Brazíliába irányuló szíriai-libanoni bevándorlásban

After the abolition of the institution of slavery in 1888 and the boom in coffee cultivation, a labor shortage emerged in Brazil. The problem was to be solved by the organized resettlement of foreign, primarily European workers. Immigrants willing to work on the coffee plantations were provided with various subsidies by the state. Although only those immigrants engaged in agricultural work on the plantations received government support, this did not mean that the state prohibited spontaneous immigration. Spontaneous immigrants were those who did not arrive in Brazil through recruitment or agency activity and did not receive government support. Such were the Syrian–Lebanese workers who were mainly engaged in commercial rather than agricultural activities. From the second half of the nineteenth century, they left the Ottoman Empire in increasing numbers to try their luck in the Latin American country. The aim of this paper is to prove, relying on primary sources and the results of secondary literature, that even though Syrian-Lebanese immigration to Brazil was spontaneous, Pedro II of Brazil had an important role in encouraging it.

From Arming to Fighting? The Steps to War, Mutual Military Buildups and Dispute Onset in the Greece-Ottoman Empire/Turkey Rivalries

Recent developments in the operationalization of mutual military buildups raise some questions about the findings of the quantitative literature on the association of mutual military buildups (MMB) and militarized dispute (MID) onset in the Greece-Ottoman Empire and Greece-Turkey dyads. We use the novel data to evaluate that relationship, working within the Steps to War explanatory framework. The Greece-Ottoman Empire and Greece-Turkey cases are puzzles for the framework, since on the one had they have a frequent presence of the Steps to War but have far fewer wars than we would expect. Our analysis indicates that despite that puzzling incongruity the Greece - Ottoman Empire and Greece-Turkey cases are good fits for the Steps to War, except when it comes to the role of mutual military buildups. We find indicators that while the other factors of Steps to War have a positive combined association with MID onset, the inclusion of mutual military buildups renders such an association statistically insignificant. On the other hand, we do find indicators that mutual military buildups may contribute to the transition from Lesser to Severe Rivalry, as per the Steps to Rivalry. Finally, the dyads reach infection periods that make war more likely as per the Steps to War. But many expected wars do not take place. We posit two possible explanations for future research: deterrence, or major power managerial coordination.

Pathways to Modernity: Ottoman Reforms Before and During the Tanzimat

This study analyses the modernisation efforts within the Ottoman Empire during the pre-Tanzimat and Tanzimat periods, examining the intricate balance between Westernisation and genuine modernisation strategies. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Ottoman Empire faced significant military, economic, and administrative challenges, prompting a decisive shift towards comprehensive reforms in socio-cultural, military, and administrative domains. These profound reforms were primarily driven by the imperative to address the empire's perceived backwardness in comparison to Europe and to safeguard its territorial integrity. During the Tanzimat period (1839-1876), the Empire undertook extensive reforms in governance, fiscal policies, and civil rights, particularly through the Gülhane Hatt-ı Hümayunu and the Islahat Fermanı. While these reforms laid the groundwork for subsequent modernization efforts, they encountered substantial resistance from entrenched social and political structures and were subject to intense scrutiny. This article meticulously examines the inception of the Ottoman Empire's modernisation process, elucidating the Empire's strategic efforts to advance and sustain modernisation amidst the intricate balance between the influences of Western modernity and the preservation of Ottoman heritage and traditional values. Within this framework, it underscores the continuity of reforms and modernization from the late 18th century through to the Republican era.

The Politics of Emotions, Bio-Political Border Practices and the Question of (In)security on the Turkish Political Territorial Borders

ABSTRACT This paper conceptually and analytically delineates the operation and employment of discourses and the political emotions of fear and anxiety in the making, conception, and cartographic imagination of the contours of modern Turkey’s political territorial boundaries. This study posits that the emergence and formation of the Turkish political territorial borders after the traumatic and violent experience of the cataclysmic shrinking, collapse and disintegration of the Ottoman Empire continue to influence discourses, emotions, practices and policies of border security and policing. Borders and borderlands are not only sites where the state performs, exercises and displays its sovereign will and power in protecting national security, dignity, pride and honor, but also sources and harbingers of fears, anxieties and ontological (in)securities. In the context of the highly publicized immigration influx of Syrians, Iraqis, Afghanis and others into Turkey, this paper argues that discourses and emotions of fear, anxiety and hate regained new currency and have become consequential in the state’s eliciting of consent from the masses in instituting border walls, fences and harsh border policing practices and policies on the borderlands and in cities across the country.