Artisans of empire: crafts and craftspeople under the Ottomans

Writing about artisans -- Before and after 1500: how artisan organization may have emerged in the Ottoman lands -- Services to the state -- Guildsmen of Istanbul and Cairo -- Provincial craftspeople and merchant networks -- Changes in Istanbul guilds -- Cairo: from military penetration of artisan guilds to the state monopolies of Mehmed Ali Paș̦a -- Political roles of craftsmen -- Provincial craftsmen: how guilds adapted to new circumstances -- 1850 to 1914: a different state, a different economy and the disappearance of the guilds

Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Before the 1670s -- Before and after1500: how artisan organization may have emerged in the Ottoman lands -- 3. Services to the state -- 4. Guildsmen of Istanbul and Cairo -- 5. Provincial craftspeople and merchant networks. From the 1670s to the 1850s -- 6. Changes in Istanbul guilds -- 7. Cairo: from military penetration of artisan guilds to the state monopolies of Mehmed Ali Paşa -- 8. The political role of craftsmen -- 9. Provincial craftsmen: how guildsmen adapted to new circumstances -- After 1850. 10. From 1850 to 1914: a different state, a different economy and the disappearance of the guilds -- 11. Conclusion. A note on transliteration.

The manufacture and trade in crafted goods and the men and women who were involved in this industry - including metalworkers, ceramicists, silk weavers, fez-makers, blacksmiths and even barbers - lay at the social as well as the economic heart of the Ottoman empire. This comprehensive history by leading Ottoman historian Suraiya Faroqhi presents the definitive view of the subject, from the production and distribution of different craft objects to their use and enjoyment within the community.Succinct yet comprehensive, "Artisans of Empire" analyses the production and trade of crafts f