Treatment of Jews Under Early Ottoman Rule
When the Ottomans conquered Jerusalem in 1516 CE, the people of Jerusalem “welcomed them with relief”(Armstrong 323). Tensions between Muslims, Christians, and Jews were all high, and the city itself was in disarray, with damaged infrastructure and a depressed economy. Sulieman the Magnificent, ruler of the Ottoman Empire at the time, took this challenge, and greatly improved the condition of Jerusalem and the status of Jews in it during his rule.
Sulieman rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, an expensive and laborious project, and also restored different religious sites around the city. Sulieman encouraged Jewish refugees who lived in the Empire to return to their religious home, which many did. The economy of the city improved, with an increase in manufacturing and public events(Armstrong 325). This prosperity encouraged more and more Jews to return to the region, including many heading to Jerusalem itself, but most still immigrated to Safed, as it provided more freedom(Israeli Foreign Ministry 2). Jewish immigrants and visitors noticed the new rights that Jewish people in Jerusalem enjoyed. Jews held government positions, the special tax on Jews was lifted for the most part, and the courts and laws respected and reinforced Jewish opinions. One Jewish traveler from Italy even noted, “Here we are not in exile, as in our own country”(Armstrong 326). The improved state of Jerusalem, the renovation and respect of religious murals, and the overall better condition and treatment of the Jewish people resulted in an increase in Jewish immigration and happiness in the city, and it also helped to reduce the tension between the Jewish and Islamic peoples in the city.
Things were still very far from perfect for the Jewish people in Jerusalem. A dispute over a synagogue between the Jewish and Islamic people, which resulted in the synagogue being shut down, and another dispute that went in the Jews’ favor, revealed a “deep-seated insecurity”(Armstrong 329). The proximity and sharing of the same holy place between two religions caused an inevitable tension. Muslims and Jews both felt threatened by the presence of the other, and that issue continues today.
Under Ottoman rule, even during the decline of the Empire, Jewish condition and treatment in Jerusalem steadily improved. It certainly was far from perfect, but it did mark a turning point in the respect of the Jewish people.
Image Source:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/516506650989746750/
Citations:
Sulieman rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, an expensive and laborious project, and also restored different religious sites around the city. Sulieman encouraged Jewish refugees who lived in the Empire to return to their religious home, which many did. The economy of the city improved, with an increase in manufacturing and public events(Armstrong 325). This prosperity encouraged more and more Jews to return to the region, including many heading to Jerusalem itself, but most still immigrated to Safed, as it provided more freedom(Israeli Foreign Ministry 2). Jewish immigrants and visitors noticed the new rights that Jewish people in Jerusalem enjoyed. Jews held government positions, the special tax on Jews was lifted for the most part, and the courts and laws respected and reinforced Jewish opinions. One Jewish traveler from Italy even noted, “Here we are not in exile, as in our own country”(Armstrong 326). The improved state of Jerusalem, the renovation and respect of religious murals, and the overall better condition and treatment of the Jewish people resulted in an increase in Jewish immigration and happiness in the city, and it also helped to reduce the tension between the Jewish and Islamic peoples in the city.
Things were still very far from perfect for the Jewish people in Jerusalem. A dispute over a synagogue between the Jewish and Islamic people, which resulted in the synagogue being shut down, and another dispute that went in the Jews’ favor, revealed a “deep-seated insecurity”(Armstrong 329). The proximity and sharing of the same holy place between two religions caused an inevitable tension. Muslims and Jews both felt threatened by the presence of the other, and that issue continues today.
Under Ottoman rule, even during the decline of the Empire, Jewish condition and treatment in Jerusalem steadily improved. It certainly was far from perfect, but it did mark a turning point in the respect of the Jewish people.
Image Source:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/516506650989746750/
Citations:
“Ottoman Rule (1517-1917).” Www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org, www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/ottoman-rule-1517-1917.
Notes: 1) it's Suleiman (spelling); 2) there are some missing spaces; 3) remember that it's always best to utilize peer-reviewed sources.
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