Resurrecting Homo Ottomanicus: The Constants and Variables of Ottoman Identity

Abstract

The question of “who is an Ottoman” has already yielded interesting answers, but they principally seem to reflect the multifaceted nature of the Ottoman Empire itself and therefore do not bring us much closer to an understanding of the abstract concept of Ottoman identity. While trying not to be essentialist, this article aims to establish some concrete criteria for our definition of homo ottomanicus. The anatomization of one individual case suggests that Ottoman identity was the product of a societal grid composed of a multitude of boundaries, only the fiscal and legal ones of which tended to be rigid and relatively objectifiable.