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Ottoman History: State, Society and Economy
(110586) - Andreas Lyberatos & Burcu Isil
Description du cours
This course explores the economic and social structures of the Ottoman Empire from its origins to its collapse, with particular emphasis on the nineteenth century. Using a combination of chronological and thematic approaches, it examines key dynamics such as land tenure, taxation, commerce, social hierarchies, state modernization, peasant unrest, agrarian transformation, industrialization, and the empire’s integration into global markets.
The first part of the course (14th–18th centuries) begins with an introduction to major historiographical debates, followed by an overview of the empire’s formation as a frontier principality. Subsequent lectures examine the development of classical Ottoman institutions, such as the land system and taxation practices, bureaucracy and administration, legal and dynastic frameworks, military organization, urban life, and commerce. Later weeks focus on seventeenth- and eighteenth-century transformations—fiscal reforms, climate shifts, popular uprisings, the rise of provincial notables, and the growing commercialization of agriculture—while critically engaging with the traditional ‘decline’ paradigm.
The second part of the course focuses on the ‘long nineteenth century,’ marked by reform, crisis, transformation, and global integration. Topics include the Tanzimat reforms, bureaucratic and administrative restructuring, state modernization, evolving property rights, peasant uprisings and rural change, new systems of justice and taxation, and mechanisms of social control. The course also addresses the empire’s incorporation into the capitalist world economy, expansion of foreign investment and debt, urbanization, and the emergence of new social actors shaped by changing notions of gender, labor, and nationalism.
The main aim of this course is to equip students with a critical and comprehensive understanding of the Ottoman Empire’s economic and social history. Through analyzing key structures, processes, and debates, students will develop the skills to assess historical change, evaluate historiographical perspectives, and relate Ottoman history to broader global and comparative contexts.
Creation Date
mardi 7 octobre 2025
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Course Syllabus
PANTEION UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCIENCES
Fall Semester 2025–2026
Course: 110586 Ottoman History: State, Society, and Economy
Instructor: Dr. Ezgi Burcu Işıl-Sevgener (e-mail: e.burcu.isil@gmail.com)
Class Schedule: Tuesdays, 12:00-15:00
Location: Δ12
Office Hours: By appointment
Course Readings: All primary readings and supplementary materials—including handouts with key terms, guiding questions, videos, and, primary sources—will be uploaded weekly on eClass.
Recommended Sources:
Halil İnalcık, The Ottoman Empire: The Classical Age, 1300–1600 (London, 1973); Colin Imber, The Ottoman Empire, 1300–1650 (Palgrave, 2002); İnalcık and Quataert (eds.), An Economic and Social History of the Ottoman Empire, 1300–1914 (Cambridge, 1994); Donald Quataert, The Ottoman Empire, 1700–1922 (Cambridge, 2005); Suraiya Faroqhi (ed.), The Cambridge History of Turkey, vol. 3: The Later Ottoman Empire, 1603–1839 (Cambridge, 2006); Reşat Kasaba (ed.), The Cambridge History of Turkey, vol. 4: Turkey in the Modern World (Cambridge, 2008).
Grading:
Grading is based on in-class exams:
• Midterm exam (during class session): 40%
• Final exam (during the finals period): 60%
Course Schedule:
• 7 October: Introduction
• 14 October: What is Ottoman Economic & Social History?; Rise of The Ottoman Empire
• 21 October: The Empire’s Foundations (14th–16th centuries) I
• 28 October: Holiday – No class
• 4 November: The Empire’s Foundations (14th–16th centuries) II
• 11 November: Transformation and “Crisis” in the 17th Century
• 18 November: Social and Economic Change in the 18th Century
• 25 November: Midterm Exam
• 2 December: Tanzimat and 19th-Century Reform I: Modernization of the State, Administration, and Legal System
• 6 December (Saturday – Make up class) Tanzimat and 19th-Century Reform II: Land, Property, and Taxation
• 9 December: Economy in Transition: Urbanization, Industry, and Labor
• 16 December: Society in the 19th Century: Justice, Protest, Social Control
• 22 December - 6 January: Holiday – No class
• 13 January: Nationalism, Reform, and Social Change
• 17 January (Saturday – Make up class): Conclusion: The Empire in Global Perspective; Legacies of Ottoman Economic & Social History
• 19 January-14 February: Finals Period (Final exam date: TBD)