Activities of notable individuals in the 18th-century Ottoman Empire

What is it about?

Genghis Khan and his descendants enjoyed a peculiar status all around the world of Asian steppe empires and beyond. This article examines the case of the involvement of members of the Giray dynasty who ruled over the Crimean Khanate and were descendants of Genghis Khan in tax-farming and timar prebendal grants. We do this from the perspective of the periphery by examining certain cases of such events as they occurred in the area of Serfice (today: Servia Kozanis, in West Macedonia, Greece) and we examine the way they used their status and prestige in the way they handled these cases.

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Photo by Snowscat on Unsplash

Photo by Snowscat on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Although the Giray dynasty enjoyed a peculiar status as descendants of Genghis Khan, their role in Ottoman politics has with the exception of some very few monographs been neglected and overlooked. This article brings to light some aspects of the activities of members of the Giray dynasty and highlights the methods they used in order to promote their interests based on their status. It is the very first attempt to examine such activities on the part of the Giray dynasty and as such, it sheds light on the Giray dynasty's history, their status and rightful position within the precincts of the Ottoman polity.

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