326 | Connections and Questions to Consider
- What kinds of strategies did the Genoese of Pera follow in the face of the
changes that took place with the coming of the Ottomans?
Chapter
Chapter 4, together with chapters 5 and 6, examines the reign of Mehmed II.
It connects well with chapters 3, 13, 14, 17, 18, 20, 21, and 22, which analyze the
experiences of religious minorities in the Ottoman Empire. Chapter 4 connects
with chapters 13, 15, and 17, which explore conversion’s effect on political identity.
- Explain the reasons or goals of the Ottoman sultan when he appointed
members of former elites to administrative positions; explain how Mahmud
Pasha Angelović helped achieve these goals. - Explain the ambivalent position of the Balkan and Byzantine aristocracy
after the Ottoman conquest and the ways this ambivalence is reflected in the
case of Mahmud Pasha Angelović.
Chapter
Chapters 5 and 19 explore the concept of Turkishness in Ottoman identity as it
evolved over the centuries of the empire’s existence. Chapters 5 and 6 examine
the difficulties of incorporating new Turkish Muslim communities in Anatolia
into the empire. Chapter 5 also fits well with chapter 12, exploring who were the
true Ottomans. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 all examine the reign of Mehmed II espe-
cially in relation to the conquest of Constantinople and the incorporation of new
territories in the empire.
- Could we describe Neşri as a palace historian—that is, a historian serving
the Ottoman court—or should we consider him an independent intellectual
of his time? - Do you think Neşri would have identified himself as a türk, a türkmen, an
Ottoman, or a Karaman? Explain your answer.
Chapter
Chapters 6 and 1 explore the importance of Sufis in the development of the Otto-
man Empire. Chapter 6 also combines well with chapter 7, as they both analyze
the role of religious elites in creating an Ottoman religious identity. It may also
be linked with chapter 12, which asks the question, Who are the true Ottomans?
It also explores the fate of those who failed to be accepted for political or religious
reasons in the expanding Ottoman Empire, as does chapter 8. Chapter 6 also
links with chapters 12, 13, 14, and 19, which examine the creation of an Ottoman
Islamic identity.