Suraiya Faroqhi’s latest book presents a comprehensive and ambitious study of Ottoman women’s history, spanning the period from the sixteenth to the early twentieth century. As a historian renowned for her meticulous research and broad historiographical perspective, Faroqhi offers an invaluable contribution to the field with this volume. The anticipation surrounding this book was well justified, and to the best of my knowledge, there is no comparable work that covers such an extensive chronology and geographical scope in the field of Ottoman women’s history. The book’s origins lie in class notes and the challenges faced during the pandemic in adapting teaching methods and distributing reading materials to students. This practical foundation makes the book useful for students and scholars alike.
Faroqhi frames the book around the concept of “agency” and, notably, “non-agency”. While she states in the introduction that “[t]he present work is about women rather than about gender” (p. 4), her focus on agency inherently engages with gendered structures. As I have noted in a previous study, the problem of agency in women’s history often revolves around inserting women’s subjectivity into broader historical narratives (Oğuz, “Women’s agency in the Ottoman Empire”, Journal of the Ottoman and Turkish Studies Association 6/2, 2019). Faroqhi examines how women demonstrated agency, particularly in times of crisis – whether familial, social, political, or economic – navigating survival by either challenging or submitting to prevailing conditions.
The book is divided into three parts, preceded by an introduction and a prologue. The introduction discusses key historiographical issues and the limitations of studying women’s history in the Ottoman context. The author explains and justifies her emphasis on work, charity, and family relations within the framework of agency. The prologue provides a general historical background while maintaining a focus on Ottoman women, a treatment which is rare in the literature. From this perspective, this section is useful not only to those who are new to the scholarship, but also to those who are familiar with the context that determined what Faroqhi calls the condition féminine. Part I deals with the period between the 1500s and 1700s, exploring the legal framework governing women’s lives. Although the emphasis is on Islamic law, Faroqhi presents cases discussing the laws of the Orthodox Church and Jewish law. This legal framework covers marriage, women’s economic roles, female slavery, and charitable activities. The concluding chapter in this part highlights “exceptionally talented” women and their intellectual activity in line with the emphasis in the book on a broad definition of survival, “that it includes not only feeding one’s dependants and oneself, but self-respect as well” (p. 79). Part II covers the period between the 1700s and 1870s, examining how women adapted to the empire’s shifting social, economic, and political landscape, especially under the pressures of “dependent capitalism”. This section begins by addressing Ottoman diversity, with a particular focus on Arab women and regional differences. Faroqhi then presents survival strategies including charity and paid labour. Part III covers the period from the 1870s to 1918 – a period in which primary sources and women’s own publications shed further light on their experiences. In this part, the author underscores the increasing role of female education within the broader framework of Ottoman modernization, which she characterizes as “defensive modernization”. Women’s voices become more prominent as they actively participated in society as teachers, authors in women’s publications, wage labourers, and social aid workers. The conclusion further emphasizes the regional diversity of Ottoman women’s experiences and highlights the “dark side” of defensive modernization, particularly the suffering of women as refugees and deportees, notably in the Armenian case. A concluding section, “Suggestions for further reading”, provides an extensive literature review on the topics discussed.
One of the book’s major strengths lies in its extensive chronological scope, spanning from Sultan Suleyman’s reign (1520–66) to World War I. Despite the ambitious nature of this undertaking, Faroqhi effectively manages it by maintaining a consistent analytical framework centred on women’s agency and women’s evolving relationship with the state and authorities. The book also stands out for its broad contextual coverage, shedding light on women’s lives in various settings: the palace, family, workplace, schools, philanthropic organizations, associations, courts, and literature. As is often the case in the history of women, the availability or lack of primary sources sets the tone for the emphasis placed on these issues. Geographically, Faroqhi moves beyond Istanbul, aligning with recent historiographical trends that critique past studies’ overemphasis on the Ottoman capital. She includes diverse regions such as Anatolia, the Balkans, and the Arab provinces, offering a more comprehensive picture of Ottoman women’s experiences.
Given the book’s strong focus on agency, it would have been useful to see a more explicit theoretical engagement with the broader historiographical literature on this concept, beyond the Ottoman context. A comparative perspective incorporating cross-readings with non-Ottoman women’s histories could have further enriched the analysis. As survival in times of crisis is an important aspect of the book, one expects to read more about crime and prostitution. On the former, for example, the title “Crimes of women as examples of non-agency” (p. 76) is rather confusing, as the concept of non-agency is not explored. Overall, however, Faroqhi’s book is a significant and timely contribution to Ottoman women’s history. Its broad chronological, geographical, and thematic scope makes it an essential resource for students and scholars in the field. By focusing on women’s agency and survival strategies, the book not only expands our understanding of Ottoman women’s lives but also invites further discussion on the intersections of gender, power, and historical change.
