200 honored by the glory of islam
name the imperial treasurer, as in the statute, the man responsible for imperial
fi nances, this document instructs the palace treasurer to provide the garments
to the converted couple. As Rycaut notes:
The Haznadar Bashi, or Lord Treasurer of the Seraglio [saray, pal-
ace], who commands those Pages that attend the Treasury; I mean
not that which is of present use, as to pay the Souldiery, or serve the
publick and present occasions of the Empire, for that is in the hand
of the Tefterdar; but that Riches that is laid apart for the expences of
the Court, and that which is amassed and piled up in several rooms
of the Seraglio, of which there have been collections and additions in
the time almost of every Emperour, distinguished and divided by the
names of the Sultans, through whose industry and frugality they had
been acquired, but this Wealth is conserved as sacred, not to be used
or exposed, unless on occasions of extreme emergency.^45
When Rycaut mentions “Riches” that are “amassed and piled up,” he is refer-
ring to the precious cloaks such as sable furs of honor kept under the watchful
eye of the palace treasurer.^46 Rather than being used only during emergencies,
it is more correct to say that the garments were circulated on signifi cant oc-
casions, including conversion ceremonies. More important, Rycaut mentions
that the palace treasurer accompanied the sultan wherever he traveled. In Sep-
tember 1 673, the sultan had alighted on the plain of Isakçi during the second
Polish campaign where these conversions occurred.
A researcher can be misled in other ways. Despite the implication of the
statute that only men would convert at court, numerous archival documents
mention women who became Muslims. Treasury records reveal that in ad-
dition to turbans for men, the sultan’s court distributed a wardrobe full of
clothes to women who converted to Islam. These included women’s slippers
and cloaks.^47 According to the petitions recorded by the secretary of the impe-
rial council concerning the bestowal of new dress today housed at the Prime
Ministry’s Ottoman Archive in Istanbul, nearly two hundred people converted
before the sultan and grand vizier. Of the people receiving new clothes, most
were men. Based on the location of conversion, it can be assumed that they
were predominantly Orthodox Christian, although some Jews in and around
Salonica also may be included in these petitions. Two-thirds of the people ap-
pearing at these courts consisted of groups of men ranging in size from two
to fi fty. The second largest category of converts consisted of single men. Fewer
groups of men and women, likely married couples, and sometimes families
with children converted together. A similar number of small groups of women,
usually two, including mothers and daughters, also came to the courts of the