POLS 157 Chapter Notes - Chapter NA: Social and Cultural Barriers: Concubinage, Ottoman Empire
13 Apr 2020
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Middle eastern observers increasingly became aware of the disparity in military power between middle eastern and western states during the 18th and 19th centuries: they turned their attention primarily to weaponry and warfare. However, there were other differences between middle eastern and western society that were greater and more profound, yet overlooked: three of these aspects: (1) women (2) science (3) technology. The middle east differed from the west in attitude and perception on these three issues. In islam there were three types of people who did not benefit from the muslim principles of legal and religious equality: (1) women (2) unbelievers (3) slaves. Of these comma the slave could be freed by his master and the unbeliever could devote himself to islam (1) the woman was doomed forever to remain inferior. In many muslim countries polygamy either became illegal or highly restricted.
