Reviewer:
Tessa516
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August 8, 2020 Subject:
Soft Power and Hard Politics
In "Imperial Harem", Professor Pierce has lifted the veil on a fascinating aspect of Ottoman history of the 16th & 17th centuries: the political importance
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of imperial women and their spouses. I came to this book out of curiosity about the Ottoman Empire—a topic into which I had not previously delved—and frustration from finding so few books that went beyond generalities. Professor Pierce's study, which is meticulously researched and documented, is most satisfying. I was especially interested in her account of Suleiman I and the "damad" system, in which, his grand-daughters (primarily) were married to his chief ministers, men who rose in power from a "slave elite" via the Janissary route. As a Roman historian, dealing with the tumultuously dysfunctional family dynamics of the Julio-Claudian emperors, I am fascinated by the concept of a sultan governing successfully by means of a "family cabal", which both broadened the sultanic base of power and made his ministers, not only extremely powerful, but also extremely rich. Highly recommended!
Undoubtedly, this book was used to create the TV production KOSEM, at least, it is very enjoyable and precise in details. The book is very useful and I
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hope to buy it sometime.
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