328 | Connections and Questions to Consider
Chapter
Chapter 10 connects well with chapters 8 and 9, which also explore the impact
of Ottoman rule on former Mamluk cities after the conquest by Sultan Selim I.
Chapter 10, together with chapter 17, explores economic opportunities and ex-
ploitation in the Ottoman Empire. Chapter 10 fits well with chapters 2, 13, 15, 16,
20, 21, and 22, which all explore migrations of individuals or groups into or out
of Ottoman territories.
- What form did slavery take in the early Ottoman Aleppo? How does this
slavery compare with forms of slavery in other parts of the world? - In evaluating Ibn al-Hanbali’s biographical notice of his contemporary al-
Qaramani, what elements of his life story do you consider to be more cred-
ible than others?
Chapter
Chapter 11, together with chapters 14 and 16, explores the significance of the
Ottoman imperial harem. Chapters 11, 13, and 14 trace the importance of gender.
Chapters 9 and 11 examine the role of architectural patronage in the transforma-
tion of cities to make them Ottoman. Chapter 11 also explores career possibilities
for individuals recruited from the Christian minority of the Balkans and thus fits
with chapters 4, 17, 18, 20, and 21.
- How does focusing on the life of a female member of the dynasty, a princess
such as Mihrimah, alter views of power relationships within the Ottoman
imperial family that have minimized the significance of women? - Analyze the importance of each complex that was built because of Mih-
rimah’s patronage in the creation of an Ottoman imperial identity in Istan-
bul. How did each one contribute in transforming Istanbul from a Byzan-
tine into an Ottoman city?
Chapter
Chapter 12 shares interesting links with chapter 16, since both deal with changes
in Ottoman imperial administration, particularly at its highest levels during a
similar time period. Additionally, chapter 12 shares with chapter 5 important
connections concerning the creation and transformation of what constitutes
ideal types of proper Ottoman identity over time in the empire. Finally, chapter
12 also connects with chapters 6, 7, 9, 13, 14, 16, and 19 in regard to the develop-
ment, construction, and projection of Ottoman Muslim identity.
•Who were the real Ottomans, how did that change over time, and what
criteria did Ottoman writers use to decide the answer to this question?