The Ottoman Empire, 1300–1650 - The Structure of Power

Sep 21, 2026

A scholarly historical analysis of the Ottoman Empire from 1300 to 1650, focusing on how power was organized and exercised. The work outlines the empire’s development through political chronology and dynastic structures, then examines recruitment, court life, the palace and administrative institutions, provincial governance, legal systems, and the evolution of military and naval capabilities. It is supported by references, notes, a glossary, and an index.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages421

Reading Time17 h 41 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Chronology

The Ottoman Empire in 1650

Before the Ottomans

The Dynasty

Reproduction and family structure

Succession

Legitimisation

Recruitment

The Palace

Palaces

The household

The Imperial Council

The Provinces

Provinces

Sanjaks

Fiefs

The provinces transformed

The Law

Legal communities

The sacred law

Colleges, muftis and judges

The secular law

The Army

The fourteenth century

1400–1590: troops

1400–1590: weapons

1400–1590: tactics

After 1590: the military revolution

The Fleet

The Ottomans and the sea

Ships and shipbuilding

Admirals, captains and crews

Troops and tactics

Notes

Glossary

Sources Quoted

Bibliography

Index

The Ottoman Empire, 1300-1650 The Structure of Power Colin Imber The Ottoman Empire, 1300–1650 The Ottoman Empire, 1300–1650 The Structure of Power Colin Imber © Colin Imber 2002 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified asthe author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2002 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 Companies and representatives throughout the world PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St. Martin’s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd, Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN 0–333–61386–4 hardback ISBN 0–333–61387–2 paperback This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Imber, Colin. The Ottoman Empire, 1300–1650: the structure of power/Colin Imber. [p.cm](p.cm) Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index. ISBN 0–333–61386–4 1. Turkey—History—1288–1453. 2. Turkey—History—1453–1683. I. Title. DR486.163 2002 2002070425 956.1′015—dc21 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 Printed and bound in Great Britain by Mackays of Chatham Contents Map 1: Anatolia, c. 1340 viii Map 2: The expansion of the Ottoman Empire ix Map 3: The borders of the Ottoman Empire, sixteenth/seventeenth centuries x Map 4: The Ottoman–Habsburg frontier, 1600 xi Map 5: Ottoman Provinces, sixteenth century xii Introduction xiii 1 Chronology 1 The Ottoman Empire in 1650 1 Before the Ottomans 4 The Ottoman Emirate: from triumph to disaster, 1300–1402 8 The Ottoman Emirate: civil war and recovery, 1402–51 17 The Ottoman Empire: conquest and consolidation, 1451–1512 27 The apogee of Empire, 1512–90 44 The Ottoman times of trouble, 1590–1650 66 2 The Dynasty 87 Reproduction and family structure 87 Succession 96 Legitimisation 115 vi Contents 3 Recruitment 128 4 The Palace 143 Palaces 143 The household 148 The Imperial Council 154 5 The Provinces 177 Provinces 177 Sanjaks 184 Fiefs 193 The provinces transformed 206 6 The Law 216 Legal communities 216 The sacred law 217 Colleges, muftis and judges 225 The secular law 244 7 The Army 252 The fourteenth century 252 1400–1590: troops 257 1400–1590: weapons 267 1400–1590: tactics 275 After 1590: the military revolution 281 8 The Fleet 287 The Ottomans and the sea 287 Ships 288 Shipbuilding 292 Contents vii Admirals 297 Captains and crews 302 Troops 308 Tactics 311 Some Conclusions 318 Notes 326 Glossary 350 Sources Quoted 356 Bibliography 362 Index 377 Black Sea BYZANTINE EMPIRE Constantinople Gallipoli KARESI Sinop Iznik Bursa Kastamonu ISFENDYAR OTTOMANS Amasaya TREBIZOND Bayburt R. Sakarya Ankara ERETNA Sivas Erzincan Agean SARUHAN Kütahya Manisa AYDIN MENTESHE RHODES GERMIYAN Konya HAMID Antalya KARAMAN Adana CYPRUS Amid R. Tigris Mediterranean Sea Anatolia, c. 1

FAQs

What period does the book cover?

The book covers the Ottoman Empire from 1300 to 1650, with major developments discussed across the stated centuries.

Which aspects of power are analyzed?

It examines dynastic organization, recruitment, the palace and central institutions, provincial administration, law, and the army and fleet, emphasizing how these systems sustained rule.

Does the book include research support material?

Yes. It includes bibliographical references, notes, a glossary, sources quoted, and an index, along with maps.

Sep 21, 2026

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