IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section B

Abstract

Owing to its geographic and strategic position on the ancient Via Egnetia, Ottoman city of Manastir (today’s Bitola) developed into a large urban area, a “metropolis” of the region. It was one of the main cities of the Empire in the Balkans. It was the home of Muslims, Christians and Jews, living within the city and the surrounding countryside. Manastir could be regarded as deeply religious and was at the same time tolerant toward the other religious groups. In analyzing the legal system during the Ottoman rule in the region, our study concerning the social aspects will prove that the people in Manastir lived side by side in harmony with other groups belonging to different religions. As references suggests, law enforcement in Manastir was consistent, swift and effective without being oppressive. Located at the crossroads of several roads, craftsmanship and trade in Manastir during Ottoman rule flourished and was held in high regard among the people; both Muslims and non-Muslims were involved in these business ventures, where the guilds were very well organized. Conversions of non-Muslims to Islam were common in Ottoman Manastir, but no instances of massive conversions were recorded during the centuries of the Ottoman rule. Assimilation in the negative sense of non-Muslims or local people, particularly in terms of their languages and names, did not occur in Manastir. The purpose of this research is to consider the judicial records (qādī sijil) as a source for the history of the Empire in Manastir and its surrounding areas, particularly in legal-administrative and socio-economic history, whose records proved to be a rich historical source. It is also hoped that this work may be of use both to the academician and scholar alike when studying the cultural diversities of both Muslim and non-Muslim societies which may perhaps lead to a more comprehensive understanding of Muslim history in particular and world history in general.