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A new approach to the study of slavery in the Ottoman Empire

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Given that the classical binary of ´slavery´ and ´freedom´ is derived from the transatlantic experience, the volume strives for an alternative approach by examining asymmetric dependency structures in the Ottoman Empire. A closer look at the various levels of the Ottoman social order brings to light a variety of conditions for enslavement practices rather than a single universal pattern. The authors of this volume examine various forms of dependency with a particular focus on agency, i.e. the room for maneuver of the enslaved or the options for action in situations of extreme individual or group dependencies in their respective historical contexts. A clearer and more nuanced picture of the practices of slavery thus evolves across the duration of the Empire between the 14th-20th centuries.

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