The infamous Ottoman devsirme-the levy and enslavement of young male subjects from the Christian regions of the empire for palace and military service by the Turks-has been traditionally understood as a mechanism of both elite recruitment and Muslim conversion. Here Charles Argo investigates the political and cultural resonance of the act itself; an act that reproduced in spectacle form Ottoman ideologies of dynastic legitimacy and political hegemony amongst its Christian subjects. Viewed thus, the levy transcends its utility as a recruitment mechanism, and becomes an important-even iconic-display of political will that significantly shaped the cultural reality for Balkan peoples under Ottoman rule. A fresh and original look at Ottoman history, this book changes the way we look at the exercise of power in pre-modern empires, and will be essential for all those interested in Ottoman and Middle East studies as well as Christian-Muslim relations, ritual, slavery and conversion.

Author Biography

Charles Argo was awarded his PhD in Middle Eastern History by the King Fahd Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies at the University of Arkansas, in 2005 and is Assistant Professor of History at Ball State University, Indiana.