Ottoman Heritage in the Balkans: The Ottoman Empire in Serbia, Serbia in the Ottoman Empire

Abstract

The Ottoman Empire had brought to the Balkans a new administrative and military order, as well as a new religion, but it had not automatically destroyed all existing social relations and institutions. On the contrary, some of them were integrated in the Ottoman state model. As the result of such synthesis, the new cultural circle was created. That particular cultural circle, present even today in the majority of the societies in the Balkans, has usually been defined as the ”oriental cultural heritage”. An impact made by certain civilization, society and culture is seldom one-way street. Regardless the strength and vitality of certain societies, in conflict or encounter of two civilizations there is usually mutual influence, where not only the society in incline, but also the society in decline has something to offer to the other side, in the measure in which that other side is open to the foreign influences. The aim of this paper is to show the Ottoman influence on the Serbian society in the period from 15th to the beginning of the 19th century, but also to point out certain Serbian influence to the Ottoman administrative and state system. 

Keywords

• Ottoman Empire,Serbia,oriental cultural heritage,oriental civilization,social history