Arranged in five thematic sections, with contributions from 30 specialist historians, 'The Ottoman World' examines aspects of the social and socio-ideological composition of this major pre-modern empire. It offers a combination of broad synthesis and investigation that is informative and intended to raise points for future debate.

The Ottoman empire as a political entity comprised most of the present Middle East (with the principal exception of Iran), north Africa and south-eastern Europe. For over 500 years, until its disintegration during World War I, it encompassed a diverse range of ethnic, religious and linguistic communities with varying political and cultural backgrounds. Yet, was there such a thing as an 'Ottoman world' beyond the principle of sultanic rule from Istanbul? Ottoman authority might have been established largely by military conquest, but how was it maintained for so long, over such distances and so...