Jews and Christians in the Ottoman Empire

JEWISHST 136R Subject & Catalog Number

Description

The Ottoman Empire is famously one of the most religiously diverse places in the early modern and modern world; although ruled by Muslims, in many parts of the Empire, Christians constituted the majority. This class takes as its focus the history of Jews in the Ottoman Empire, from the early modern period to the dissolution of the Empire after World War I. But Jews never lived in isolation, and in the Ottoman Empire their status was closely related to that of the other non-Muslims. For this reason, we also examine the history of various Christian groups, especially Greek Orthodox and Armenians, but also Catholics (of both Eastern and Western rites) and Protestants. We will engage with a number of themes in the historiography, including economic history, religious leadership, legal history, inter-communal violence, and the growing intervention of European states in the lives and politics of Ottoman non-Muslims. 

The course is primarily concerned with the development of scholarship on Ottoman Jews and Christians and thus will focus on reading and discussing secondary sources in English. There are no language requirements; although the course is open to all, some prior knowledge of Ottoman or Jewish history is highly recommended. If you are unsure of whether you belong in this class, do not hesitate to write to Prof. Marglin.

Recommended Prep

Some background in either Middle Eastern history and/or Jewish history