Slavery in the Ottoman Empire

Slavery in the Ottoman Empire was considered an important part of the economy.^[1]

To control their ownership of slaves, the Ottomans followed the Islamic view of human bondage. They saw themselves as the protectors of the religion while Mecca and Medina were under their protection. And the sultan was seen as a successor to the prophet. In this sense and according to Hanafi Islamic law, a person can have ownership of another, which entitles the owner to the slave' labor, property and sexuality while restricting his freedoms. However, a Muslim cannot be enslaved and if a slave follows Islam, he is to be freed. These rules were introduced in the empire’s laws.^[2]

The Slavery in the Ottoman Empire was considered an important and big part of the empire's society. It was estimated that twenty percent of the residence during the 16th century were slaves. The Ottomans tied their economy tightly to owning slaves. Since it was a large country, the vast work they needed required more workers. For this reason they needed slaves to help them with different tasks.^[1]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Miller, Joseph C., ed. Slavery and Slaving in World History: A Bibliography. 2 vols. Armonk, NY: Sharpe, 1999.
2. ↑ Hartmann, Noga (2008-07-01). "Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an". American Journal of Islam and Society. 25 (3): 119–121. doi:10.35632/ajis.v25i3.1453. ISSN 2690-3741.