Black ottoman.

As far as i know the ottoman empire used several persons from different ethnicities to serve them in high positions, like army and navy officers. You can also find and rulers of specific regions. Their ethnicity was usually greek, jewish and italian, but propably there were a lot more. I had once found a very interesting story about an english ''pasha'', but don't know if its true.  My opinion is that black ottomans could be active members of the empire, but not in esteme positions, propably soldiers or petty officers. Sorry, for my english.

Slaves from many regions of the world could and did occupy very high positions in the government in Islamic empires such as the Ottoman. Racism was not a big concern as far as I know. Black slaves in the Ottoman Empire likely came from East Africa. I'm not sure about high placed black slaves in Ottoman history. but I am aware of petty muslim sultanates in India in the 14th and 15th centuries, where Abyssinian slaves  actually became high viziers, and thus the real power in the state.

Hi,

Just reading the Arabian nights (which are not set during the Ottoman period) one can realize how harsh were the anti-black people feelings in the medieval muslim society.

I am so distracted,sorry for the repeat but ;

This is a 19th c. European painting presenting the conquest of Constantinople by Mehmet II.

thanx   guys..  By any chance does anyone knows the artist,if you don't think I take it too far?;)

African people were mostly brought to Anatolia as slaves or servants among the ships coming from Algeria,Libya and Tunisia.In those North African provinces of Ottoman Empire, slave trading was common and those were brought by the captains and pirate ships working for the Ottoman Empire, and eventually many of them were also brought to the Ottoman Palace.

Edited by Kapikulu - 10-Jun-2006 at 17:42