Vassal and tributary states of the Ottoman Empire

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The Ottoman Empire and its vassals in its peak during the late 16th century during the regime of Murad III Ottoman Empire Detailed.png
The Ottoman Empire and its vassals in its peak during the late 16th century during the regime of Murad III

The Ottoman Empire had a number of tributary and vassal states throughout its history. Its tributary states would regularly send tribute to the Ottoman Empire, which was understood by both states as also being a token of submission. In exchange for certain privileges, its vassal states were obligated to render support to the Ottoman Empire when called upon to do so. Some of its vassal states were also tributary states.

Contents

These client states, many of which could be described by modern terms such as satellite states or puppet states, were usually on the periphery of the Ottoman Empire under suzerainty of the Sublime Porte, over which direct control was not established. The Ottoman Empire maintained relationships with various states, some of which were under their direct rule (provinces) and others that were vassal states or tributary states, meaning they recognized Ottoman suzerainty but retained a degree of autonomy.

Functions

Ottomans first demanded only a small yearly tribute from vassal princes, as a token of their submission. They later demanded that a vassal prince's son should be held as hostage, that the prince should come to the Palace once a year and swear allegiance, and that he should send auxiliary troops on the sultan's campaigns. Vassal princes were required to treat the sultan's friends and enemies as their own. If the vassal failed in these duties, his lands would be declared as darülharb (lit. territory of war) open to the raids of the Ghazis. [1] The Ottomans considered as their vassals all states whose rulers agreed to pay tribute. Even the Habsburgs fell into this category after Ferdinand I (1526–64) agreed to buy peace from the Ottomans in 1533. In fact, the Habsburgs were tributary (vassal?) in name only, as was Ragusa. Transylvania depended much more on the goodwill of the Ottomans than did those ruling in either Vienna or Ragusa, and the so-called Danubian Principalities, (Moldavia and Wallachia) were indeed vassal states in the strictest legal sense of the term. [2] [3] The territories the Ottomans had conquered were either administered as provinces or transformed into vassal states, [4] such examples as Fezzan, which was an independent state conquered and turned into a vassal state. The Ottomans established a pattern of government within their own territories or principalities that were incorporated gradually through tribute and military alliance before there full annexation. [5] The Ottomans would give local dynasty that would recognize themselves as vassals, particularly in border zones, [6] this policy allowed local ruler to have local authority exchange for tribute such as military support and coinage, public rituals such as naming the sultan in khutba, [7] while recognize the ottomans as head ruler, and serve as buffer zones.

Forms

There were also secondary vassals such as the Nogai Horde and the Circassians who were (at least nominally) vassals of the khans of Crimea, or some Berbers and Arabs who paid tribute to the North African beylerbeyis, who were in turn Ottoman vassals themselves. Other tribute from foreign powers included a kind of "protection money" sometimes called a horde tax (similar to the Danegeld) paid by Tsardom of Russia or the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was usually paid to the Ottoman vassal khans of Crimea rather than to the Ottoman sultan directly.

List of Ottoman tributaries and vassals

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1683

See also

References

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Further reading

Ahmet Akgündüz, Unknown Ottoman, Istanbul 1999

Ahmet Kavas, From Past to Present Africa, Istanbul 2005

Ahmet Kavas, Ottoman–Africa Relations, TASAM Publications, Istanbul 2006

Hatice Uğur, A Sultanate in Ottoman Africa: Zanzibar, Istanbul: Küre Publications, 2005 [Link]

Türkiye Newspaper, Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire

1970 Hayat Encyclopedia

Erhan Afyoncu, The Ottoman Empire with Questions

İlber Ortaylı, The Ottomans