Approaching Ottoman History
An Introduction to the Sources

A state-of-the-art introduction to Ottoman history and sources for students embarking upon their research.

Suraiya Faroqhi (Author)

9780521661683, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 9 December 1999

276 pages, 11 b/w illus.
23.5 x 15.8 x 1.8 cm, 0.488 kg

'Some books are considered thought-provoking or required reading, some paradigm creators or 'five-star' books. Approaching Ottoman History belongs certainly the category 'required reading' and it is not far away from a 'five-star' mark.' Studia Orientalia

Suraiya Faroqhi's scholarly contribution to the field of Ottoman history has been prodigious. Her latest book represents a summation of that scholarship, an introduction to the state-of-the-art in Ottoman history. In a compelling exploration of the ways that primary and secondary sources can be used to interpret history, the author reaches out to students and researchers in the field and in related disciplines to familiarise them with these documents. By considering both archival and narrative sources, she explains why they were prepared, encouraging her readers to adopt a critical approach to their findings, and disabusing them of the notion that everything recorded in official documents is necessarily true! While the book is essentially a guide to a complex discipline for those about to embark upon their research, the experienced Ottomanist will find much that is original and provocative in its sophisticated interpretation of the field.

List of illustrations
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
2. Entering the field
3. Locating Ottoman sources
4. Rural life as reflected in archival sources: selected examples
5. European sources on Ottoman history: the travellers
6. On the rules of writing (and reading) Ottoman historical works
7. Perceptions of empire: viewing the Ottoman Empire throught general histories
8. Conclusion
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Asian history [HBJF]