Ottoman Power Holders in the Balkans (1353-1580): A Case of Upward and Downward Elite Mobility (original) (raw)
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Our departure point in this paper is to reveal the transformation of the Ottoman Empire after shocking debacles of the empire against its formidable enemies following the second siege of Vienna in 1683. Ottoman attempts first to restore lost territories and then to maintain the integrity of the empire against further assaults compelled the empire to change its socioeconomic and political structure as well as its traditional (kadim) relationship with Ottoman subjects once and for all. As a result of this transition of the state structure, which brought about a so-called “redistribution of power” in the empire, new Ottoman elites (first Muslim and then non-Muslim) emerged in the course of the first half of the eighteenth century. These new notables not only became more and more concerned about state affairs and the possible benefits to which they saw themselves as being entitled, but also developed enormous power in order to achieve their ambitious goals at the expense of the traditional system. Most important of all, however, they constituted the main actors who played a significant role in remapping the early modern Ottoman history. Having taken into the consideration conditions and circumstances which led to the appearance of new Ottoman elites across the empire from the end of the seventeenth century till the 1750s, we will be more able to examine the place and importance of these new Ottoman leading figures in shaping and affecting the future of the empire for better or for worse. In particular, this paper would open the way for future investigations and discoveries by leading us to gain a better insight into the world of Ottoman ayan (Muslim provincial magnates) and kocabaşıs (non-Muslim administrative leaders) in the establishment of national and independent states as well as semi- or fully autonomous provinces at the end of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth century.
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