Ottomans in Eighteenth-Century Prussia

Ottomans in Eighteenth-Century Prussia: Delegates to Diplomats is the first overarching study of Ottomans in Prussia. It examines the embassies of Ahmed Resmi Efendi (1763/4), Ahmed Azmi Efendi (1791/2), and Ali Aziz Efendi (1797/98), including their second-ranked diplomatic personnel such as secretaries and dragomans (interpreters), as well as the experiences of five Ottoman chargs daffaires who remained in Berlin until 1808. Unpacking the history of official diplomacy, daily interactions, and the exchange of information and knowledge in late-Enlightenment Berlin, the study sheds light on the role of the individual in the formation and institutionalisation of Ottoman-European relations. It demonstrates how over the course of administrative, fiscal, and diplomatic reform initiatives within the Ottoman and Prussian governments, the role of delegate gradually changed from ad hoc representative to member of the diplomatic corps. The book further argues that the arrival of Ottoman delegates coincided with the transformation of the Prussian capital into an intellectual and cultural centre. Profoundly influenced by the spirit of reform and Enlightenment, early modern Ottomans and Prussians negotiated and renegotiated diplomatic conventions and Orientalist ideas.