"Suraiya Faroqhi here explores the urban world of the Ottoman lands from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century. She describes the social significance of the popular arts and crafts of the period and examines the interaction among the diverse populations and classes of the Empire, with their varying religions and ethnic backgrounds. Even the banalities associated with the everyday are brought to life: bathing, the market, loving and grieving are all explored for the first time with scholarly rigour and fascination for a disappeared world." "Delving into personal letters, court documents, wills, correspondence with Sufi masters and the travel records of seafarers and traders, Faroqhi has identified a broad range of areas where individuals were able to create a flourishing and vibrant urban civilization, even while politically the Empire was beginning its relentless decline. By presenting a new vision of Ottoman cultural history, Subjects of the Sultan fills a huge gap and will fascinate not only historians of the Middle East but also social historians, students and discerning readers interested in history."--Jacket.