notes

Ottoman Empire ~ancestors= 11th-century Turkish intruders from Central Asia ~Islamic belief= elected sultans Muhammad III (r. 1595-1603)
 * believed that the leadership was a divine right given to chosen family

Before Muhammad III time (from 800s to approximately 1594): ~princes sent to provinces with tutors and mothers to learn the business of government ~had to compete for the throne
 * sultans would kill most of their male relatives but leave one alive for successor

After/during Muhammad III time (any time after 1595): ~princes went to palace called "kafes" (Turkish for "cage")
 * lots of time with women=no experience in government

Ghazi (ottoman soldier) principle: fueled urge for conquest and helped structure society social groups: 1) men of the pen= judges, imams (prayer leaders), other intellectuals 2) men of the sword= military 3) men of negotations= merchants 4) men of the husbandry= farmers/livestock raisers on the frontier: A. askeri (military) ~protect realm and raya ~conquer new territories B. raya (subjects) ~could become askeri through outstanding military service

Non-Muslims under Ghazi principle: in Islamic tradition, needed an accepted written holy book to be granted covenant of protection (dhimma) and considered protected by the people (dhimmis) ~paid special poll tax (cizye) ~dominant non-Muslim groups: Jews, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Church -each millet headed by own religious dignitary, responsible for: allocation and collection of taxes, education system, internal legal matters (i.e. marriage, divorce, inheritance) ~identity in empire based on religion
 * communities called millets

Timar system: ~basically the system that sets the rules for each social group ~askeri (dominant military group) given share of agricultural taxes of designated region (several villiages) in return for military service (calvarymen and assistance in provincial administration) ~those given grants (called timarli meaning 'timar-holders' in Turkish) were exempt from taxation ~higher the income, greater the military obligation

Timars rewarded in accordance of land survey (tahrir): ~survey happened when: new area conquered, change in reign, conditions in older area changed sufficiently ~conducted by sanjak (administrative division of province) took: names of all adult male farmers, all sources of wealth in area (farms, orchards, vineyards, mills, farm animals, crops), yeilds, taxes paid on them ~advantages to sultan= knew how many calvarymen to count on, relatively accurate idea of empire income ~timar-holder didn't conduct justice, sultan did

Ghulam system ~ghulam= slave educated and trained for state service (a.k.a. non-Muslims) ~devshirme= slaves chosen for the ghulam school (a.k.a. elite slaves)
 * Christian males ages 8-15 taken from home in Balkans to be trained
 * brought before sultan to be judged by physical, intelligence, and other qualities to be selected for palace school
 * then converted to Islam, versed in its religion and culture, learned Ottoman Turkish, Persian, Arabic, trained in military and social arts
 * boys owed alligance to sultan; graduated at 25 years old, assumed high offices in empire, particularly military service/palace guards
 * those not selected converted to Islam, worked for rural Turkish farmers, learned vernacular Turkish and folk Islamic culture and became members of elite military infantry (Janissaries)

Ottoman ~in 16th century became cultural-political-sociologial term ~to be Ottoman, must serve in state and religion and know "Ottoman way" ~high-ranking Greeks (translators for state) and other religions not Ottomans because they weren't Muslim
 * serving state= position in military, bureaucracy, or religious establishment (all with tax exemption)
 * serving religion= Muslim

(all information on this page are from __Ottoman Society and Institutions.__ Encarta Encyclopedia 99. 1999.)