The Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, the University of Tokyo will be organizing an online workshop on Ottoman history. This is the second of the "Workshop Series on Ottoman History," and Professor Nalan Turna (Yıldız Technical University) will contribute to Theme A of the series, "Corporate bodies and status groups in the Ottoman Empire," with a paper on the history of Ottoman artisans and Janissaries during the nineteenth century. Professor Eunjeong Yi (Seoul National University) will participate as a discussant. To attend the workshop, please fill in the form below.

Date and time: November 5, 2022 (Sat), 3pm–5pm (JST)

Venue: Zoom meeting

Speaker: Nalan Turna (Yıldız Technical University)

Title: Artisans and Janissaries of Istanbul Before and After the Auspicious Event, 1808–1839

Discussant: Eunjeong Yi (Seoul National University)

Regsitration form: https://forms.gle/xueGeMNHfZAKAhKp6
(Open until the end of November 4)

Abstract:
Instead of the Anglo-Ottoman Treaty of 1838 (Balta Limanı Anlaşması) and the Tanzimat Edict of 1839, this paper dates Ottoman liberalization to the Auspicious Event (Vak'a-i Hayriyye) of 1826, demonstrating the extent to which the Auspicious Event marked the end of guild privileges, which had been widespread since the eighteenth century and beyond. To this end, focusing on urban Istanbul, the paper first examines relations between the artisans and their armed defenders, the janissaries, before the Auspicious Event. It then turns to the post-1826 period to examine what happened to the artisans when they lost their 'janissary guards'.