Stories of Ottoman Men and Women Establishing Status, Establishing Control

Based on a largely archival documentation which highlights the eighteenth century, but does not neglect earlier periods, this volume attempts to reconstruct what it was like to live as an ordinary Ottoman subject, man or woman, during the pre-Tanzimat period. Control of material possessions, built-up spaces and the avenues of migration constitute the focus of the articles contained in the present volume. Most of them are of fairly recent vintage, having first been published after 1990, and in quite a few instances, even after 1995. They thus reflect the zeitgeist of recent years, characterized by a return of historical interest in the individual, and also in small groups such as households, guilds or neighborhoods.