Inherited institution: Ottoman state slavery and war captives in the early modern era

Abstract

Until recently, slavery studies had been dominated by the field of Atlantic and ancient era slavery. Other regions and eras had mostly been neglected. However, slavery existed in nearly every society in different parts of the world, in accordance with geographical, cultural, and economic circumstances; it changed its form throughout the ages until it was finally abolished officially, although different ‘hidden forms of slavery’ nevertheless continue in the contemporary world. The very institution of slavery exists here and now. The medieval and the early modern Mediterranean world was no exception. The Ottoman empire was one of those societies that employed slave labour effectively in its workforce. The Ottomans inherited slavery as a form of forced labour from eastern Mediterranean societies and reformulated it according to Islamic law and tradition.