Following an introductory essay addressing the place of the Ottoman Empire in its historical context, based on unpublished archives, Faroqhi presents essays evaluating the legitimization of the sultan and his empire and the splendor of his court. Shifting to relationships with the world outside the empire, the various essays address topics ranging from piracy to mercantile concerns to diplomacy encompassing Adriatic trade and ambassadorial relations with Iran. The third and final major topic broadly addressed is how the Empire interacted with non-Ottomans within imperial territory. Included here are accounts of prisoners of war, how an Iranian subject managed to avoid enslavement in the eighteenth century, merchants from Bosnia in the Adriatic as well as trade routes through the Adriatic. These engaging essays are accompanied by a substantial bibliography and indices. Perfect for scholars of Ottoman Turkey who are interested in the connections between the Empire and the wider world, this set of essays demonstrate the unseen currents behind the realities of the state.

Suraiya Faroqhi has taught at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Ludwig Maximilians Universität in Munich, and now teaches at Bilgi University in Istanbul. She has published several books on Ottoman studies.