Pax Ottomanica: Philosophical Background of the Millet System

This study aims to shed light on the philosophical background of the Ottoman millet system. First, I will review the nature of collective identity to establish a basis for further identity-related discussions and define the term of “Pax Ottomanica”. Then I will explain diverse and complicated utilizations of identity to clarify the scope of the key concepts of this article. Finally, I will identify the theoretical sources of Ottoman millet system within Islamic philosophy and show how it affected practical implementation. Since al-Fārābī and Ibn Bajjah political theory has reflected theoretical approaches to governance that closely parallel the practical usage of Ottoman millet system I will argue that these approaches can reasonably be considered inspirational sources and justifications for the millet system. Especially considering that the millet system maintained a policy of the protection of religious identities through detachment, I conclude that al- Fārābī’s and Ibn Bajjah’s political theories were highly influential in shaping the practical implementation of the millet system