This book provides a richly detailed account of the social and economic history of the Ottoman Empire, one of the major empires of modern times. In so doing it spans seven centuries, from the origins of the Empire around 1300 to the eve of its destruction during World War I. In four chronological sections the contributors provide the reader with valuable information on land tenure systems, population, trade and commerce and the industrial economy. This is an essential book for understanding contemporary developments in both the Middle East and the post-Soviet Balkan world.