The Golden Age of Ottoman Jewry

According to Shaw, during the height of the Golden Age in the sixteenth century, Jews comprised approximately three percent of the population of the Ottoman Empire (40). The total number of Jews, roughly 150,000, numbered twice as many as found in the combined Jewish communities of Poland and Lithuania. The largest Jewish community in the Ottoman Empire during the Golden Age was Istanbul. In Salonica, Jews were in the majority. Substantial numbers of Jews had emigrated to the Ottoman Empire to escape persecution in their native lands. Jewish immigrants fled from Spain, western and central Europe, Serbia, Greece, and Iraq (Shaw 37). The Ottoman leaders generally tolerated the influx of Jews because a need existed for the variety of skills the immigrants possessed in trade and business.

The Jews in Turkey were especially numerous. One sixteenth century diar

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in Turkey, every man is free to carry on his trade at home, in a shop, or on the streets" (Marcus 47). Jews also became active in international trade. These international merchants earned the trust of the Ottomans and became almost indispensable: "Participation by Ottoman Jews in the Empire's international trade reached a peak in the sixteenth century, with the Ottomans relying heavily on the Jews, in trade as in diplomacy and banking, since they were the only subjects who combined the necessary aptitudes and connections without developing treasonable relations with the Christian Powers of Europe" (Shaw 93). The connections of Jews to various Jewish communities throughout the three-continent Ottoman Empire facilitated trade. Jewish merchants often formed family partnerships. During the Golden Age, Jews were able to develop a monopoly on trade in the world markets. Only the Jews possessed the financing capability, knowledge of exchange systems, and expertise in foreign relations to ensure success in colonial trade. As such, even competitors in the nations in which the Jews resided often found themselves at the mercy of these savvy businessmen: "The financial situation of some Jews was so strong that foreign merchants, in t
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Approximate Word count = 1686
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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