Social Hierarchy in the Ottoman Empire
- Different levels in society
- What role did slavery play in empire?
- What basic rights are citizens entitled?
- Hierarchy of government
Two major social levels existed within the Ottoman Empire: a small group of ruling Ottomans and a large group of subjects called Rayas. Anyone could become a part of the ruling glass, regardless of heritage, as long as you fulfilled the three requirements. These were A) a profession of loyalty to the Sultan and his state, B) acceptance and practice of Islam and its underlying system of thought and action, and C) knowledge and practice of the complicated system of customs, behavior, and language known as the Ottoman Way. At the top of the Ottoman social levels was the Sultan, leader of the Ottoman government, who acted as Caliph (Islamic religious leader).
Within the major social levels were smaller subdivisions. The ruling class was split into four groups. One was an imperial institution led by sultan which provided leadership for the empire, one was a military institution, one was an administrative/societal institution which organized the imperial treasury, and one was a religious/cultural institution which had the uluma (Muslim experts in religious sciences), and were in charge of organizing Muslim faith and enforcing religious law. Although slavery was not a major part of the Ottoman Empire, members of the ruling class were considered slaves of the sultan and he had the right to their properties and lives.
The Rayas (subject class) had several subdivisons as well. Not officially subdivided by the government, members of the subject class divided themselves by religion into groups called millets. Tension arose between millets (mainly caused by the Christian millet) and as a result of this, conversion to another millet was possible but strongly dissuaded. An interesting point is that the subject class also subdivided themselves into economic groups called guilds, which contained members from several different millets yet functioned in unity.
Shaw, Stanford Jay. "Ottoman Empire (historical Empire, Eurasia and Africa)."Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
"Ottoman Empire." - New World Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
Sugar, Peter F. "Ottoman Social and State Structure." N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
"Ottoman Empire." - New World Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
Sugar, Peter F. "Ottoman Social and State Structure." N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.