From the midst of the fifteenth century on, the Ottoman Empire played a crucial role in shaping European history. This factor has not been weaved into Western historiography to its detriment, because explaining concepts such as raison d'etat, realpolitik, balance of power or even European identity remain somewhat shortchanged without the role of the Ottoman Empire in the evolution as well as functioning of these concepts. Mutual systemic influences are a foregone conclusion however overlooked. This volume comprises nine research articles on the basic characteristics of the Ottoman Empire and its political/economic relations with Europe, published previously, but updated with further evidence. The first article is an attempt at periodization in synchrony with European history, which amalgamates current research. Reciprocity with "the outside" is focused upon as the major basis of Ottoman culture. The second article analyzes an eighteenth century socio-political phenomenon, the rise of the provincial gentry, its evolution and attempts at imposing their privileges on the central government in the form of a covenant. This process ended in dismal failure. The third article is an evaluation of Max Weber's theory, which depicts the Ottoman state system as an "arbitrary patrimonialism" in comparison to the patrimonial states of Europe. Weber's categorization reflects the overwhelming European biases concerning the Ottoman state. The fourth article addresses the issue of duality in the state and social institutions, which emerged as Western and Islamic types emanating from the Westernization reform movements of the nineteenth century. The fifth article discusses the Westernization-modernization concepts of the Atatürk era by focusing on the question of the abolishment of caliphate. The sixth article is a tour of the horizon from 1500 to the emergence of Modern Turkey on interactions between Ottomans and Europe as well as on the effects of the Ottoman Empire on the European state systems and their evolution. The seventh article is a general evaluation of the impact of the Ottoman Empire as a great power in the formation of modern Europe. The eight article scrutinizes the rise of Russia in Eastern Europe and the struggles against this parvenu by the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire. Article nine discusses culture and acculturation and places, and the role of the Ottoman Empire in the European balance of power during the internecine Italian wars between 1494 and 1559. The essay follows with an evaluation of cultural exchanges between Europe and Ottoman society from the sixteenth century until the beginning of the nineteenth century. The Ottoman Empire is generally depicted and perceived as the adversary and antithesis of Europe and Europeanness in Western historiography because of certain historic reasons such as the Christian crusading tradition, public hostility due to long lasting warfare, cultural estrangement and perhaps because the Ottomans remained outside the Enlightenment process. However, there is much more to it than confrontation. Our research findings presented in this compilation point to the impact of the Ottoman Empire in shaping modern Europe, specifically as of the sixteenth century and socio-cultural exchanges between the two realms through five hundred years of encounter.

The Ottoman Empire and EuropeHalil İnalcık · Kronik Kitap · 201734 okunma

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