The Ottoman Empire and Early Modern Europe

by Daniel Goffman

Overview

Despite the fact that its capital city and over one third of its territory was within the continent of Europe, the Ottoman Empire has consistently been regarded as a place apart, inextricably divided from the West by differences of culture and religion. A perception of its militarism, its barbarism, its tyranny, the sexual appetites of its rulers and its pervasive exoticism has led historians to measure the Ottoman world against a western standard and find it lacking. In recent decades, a dynamic and convincing scholarship has emerged that seeks to comprehend and, in the process, to de-exoticize this enduring realm. Dan Goffman provides a thorough introduction to the history and institutions of the Ottoman Empire from this new standpoint, and presents a claim for its inclusion in Europe. His lucid and engaging book - an important addition to New Approaches to European History - will be essential reading for undergraduates.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781107484641
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/25/2002
Series:	New Approaches to European History , #24
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Daniel Goffman is Professor of History at Ball State University, Indiana. His publications include Izmir and the Levantine World, 1550–1650 (1990), Britons in the Ottoman Empire, 1642–1660 (1998) and The Ottoman City between East and West: Istanbul, Izmir and Aleppo, with Edhem Eldem and Bruce Masters (1999). He is currently editor of the Middle East Studies Association Bulletin.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Ottomancentrism and the West; 2. Fabricating the Ottoman State; 3. A seasoned polity; 4. Factionalism and insurrection; 5. The Ottoman-Venetian Association; 6. Commerce and diasporas; 7. A changing station in Europe; 8. Conclusion: the greater western world.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"...essential reading for historians of western Europe and for those interested in the interaction of states in the early modern period. Thought provoking and strenously argued, The Ottoman Empire and Early Modern Europe will be of value to specialists for its efforts to synthesise new research and to non-specialists for both its lucid and lively depiction of the empire and its innovative efforts to knit western and eastern Europe together." Itinerario

"Goffman's book fills a useful gap for history instructors and students by presenting an empathetic history of the Ottoman Empire that is both scholarly and accessible." ComiTATUS

"Highly recommended for the academic undergraduate." Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Literature

"[A]n excellent monograph.... This stimulating bok should be required reading in all courses on early modern Europe. All levels and collections." Choice

"This important study of the Ottoman Empire has a number of unconventional approaches that should endear it to the student unfamiliar with its historical evolution and accomplishment up to the period of decline. ...In my judgement this well-written text should serve the interest not only of students, but in many respects, that of the scholar bent on adopting new and more intimate approaches to the history of the Ottoman empire. ...I highly recommend it as an important text for the study of the Ottoman state in its European setting." Digest of Middle East Studies

"...thought-provoking..." Canadian Journal of History, Thomas Scheben, City of Frankfurt

Editorial Reviews

Goffman (history, Ball State U.) provides an introduction to the history and institutions of the Ottoman Empire and its dealings with the rest of Europe. Following an introductory overview, eight chapters discuss Ottoman organizations and peoples and how such institutions and the personalities they produced co-existed with and influenced the Mediterranean and European worlds. The body of the text is broadly chronological and examines Ottoman political, religious, societal, diplomatic and economic concerns. Each chapter begins with a vignette that addresses a troublesome spot in Ottoman historiography, filling out and personalizing the historical record. The book contains 30 b&w illustrations and seven maps. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

"...essential reading for historians of western Europe and for those interested in the interaction of states in the early modern period. Thought provoking and strenously argued, The Ottoman Empire and Early Modern Europe will be of value to specialists for its efforts to synthesise new research and to non-specialists for both its lucid and lively depiction of the empire and its innovative efforts to knit western and eastern Europe together." Itinerario

"Goffman's book fills a useful gap for history instructors and students by presenting an empathetic history of the Ottoman Empire that is both scholarly and accessible." ComiTATUS

"Highly recommended for the academic undergraduate." Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Literature

"[A]n excellent monograph.... This stimulating bok should be required reading in all courses on early modern Europe. All levels and collections." Choice

"This important study of the Ottoman Empire has a number of unconventional approaches that should endear it to the student unfamiliar with its historical evolution and accomplishment up to the period of decline. ...In my judgement this well-written text should serve the interest not only of students, but in many respects, that of the scholar bent on adopting new and more intimate approaches to the history of the Ottoman empire. ...I highly recommend it as an important text for the study of the Ottoman state in its European setting." Digest of Middle East Studies

"...thought-provoking..." Canadian Journal of History, Thomas Scheben, City of Frankfurt

From the Publisher