Will Smiley
Biographic Data
| ID | 711949 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Will Smiley |
| GIVEN NAMES | Will |
| FAMILY NAME | Smiley |
| SIGNATURE | SMILEY W |
| AFFILIATIONS | Princeton University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 15 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 10 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 15 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Tipu and the Tabur
This article examines connections and influences between Muslim polities across the Indian Ocean in the eighteenth century through the legacy of an embassy sent by Tipu Sultan of Mysore to the Ottoman Empire in 1787. It argues that the soldiers who came with the embassy offered Ottoman elites a new model of performativity and military labor. This helped inspire one of the most important transformations in the history of the Ottoman state: the Niz…
War, States, and International Order: Alberico Gentili and the Foundational Myth of the Laws of War by Claire Vergerio
Journal Article War, States, and International Order: Alberico Gentili and the Foundational Myth of the Laws of War by Claire Vergerio Get access Claire Vergerio. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2022. 297 pp.$99.99. Will Smiley Will Smiley University of New Hampshire Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Political Science Quarterly, qqae024, https://doi.org/10.1093/psquar/qqae024 Published: 10 April 2024 …
So novel in its character from any thing known: Ottoman Antislavery Policy Under Mahmud II
In 1830, Sultan Mahmud II issued a sweeping order freeing enslaved people. Scholars have often been puzzled by this apparently unprecedented 1830 decree, and they have sometimes seen it as the beginning of Ottoman abolition. Yet the academic consensus is that Ottoman state efforts against slavery began only later, in 1847 at the earliest. This article attempts to resolve the discrepancy. By studying the original order and placing it in context, I…
Rebellion, Sovereignty, and Islamic Law in the Ottoman Age of Revolutions
This article traces how Ottoman interpretations and uses of Islamic law adapted to deal with non-Muslim rebellions between roughly 1769 and 1830. Drawing on Ottoman fatwas (legal opinions), bureaucratic registers, sultanic decrees, and chronicles, as well as British diplomatic records, it argues that the Ottoman state actively reinterpreted its commitment to the Islamic legal tradition in order to forge the law of rebellion into a weapon against …
From Slaves to Prisoners of War
The Ottoman–Russian wars of the eighteenth century reshaped the map of Eurasia and the Middle East, but they also birthed a novel concept—the prisoner of war. For centuries, hundreds of thousands of captives, civilians and soldiers alike, crossed the legal and social boundaries of these empires, destined for either ransom or enslavement. But in the eighteenth century, the Ottoman state and its Russian rival, through conflict and diplomacy, worked…
Those Left Out
As the Ottoman law of captivity expanded to include other sovereign states at the close of the eighteenth century, the rules also left out many of the Porte’s enemies. This chapter argues that rebels, pirates, and certain types of slaves trafficked into the Ottoman Empire remained unprotected by either the prisoner-of-war system, the Law of Release, or both. Ottoman subjects, or those who could claim no major empire’s subjecthood, had far fewer p…
From the Law of Ransom to the Law of Release
This chapter charts the “Law of Release,” a new system of rules that replaced the Law of Ransom. These rules were based on treaties signed from 1739 onward, but also on a variety of lesser agreements and unwritten understandings and the Islamic legal tradition. They were renewed frequently, and structured captivity as late as the 1850s. This chapter will explore the basic structures of the Law of Release—how captives were found, released, and sen…
Slavery and Ransom: The Ottoman Empire, Russia, and International Law
This chapter explores captives’ fates after their capture, all along the Ottoman land and maritime frontiers, arguing that this was largely determined by individuals’ value for ransom or sale. First this was a matter of localized customary law; then it became a matter of inter-imperial rules, the “Law of Ransom.” The chapter discusses the nature of slavery in the Ottoman Empire, emphasizing the role of elite households, and the varying prices for…
Lawless Wars of Empire? The International Law of War in the Philippines, 1898–1903
Writing for his fellow military officers in early 1903, United States Army Major C.J. Crane reflected on the recent Philippine–American War. The bloody struggle to suppress an insurgency in the Philippines after the United States had annexed them from Spain in 1899 had officially concluded the previous July. The war had been accompanied by fierce racist sentiments among Americans, and in keeping with these, Crane described his foes as “the most t…
Freeing “The Enslaved People of Islam: The Changing Meaning of Ottoman Subjecthood for Captives in the Russian Empire
This article draws on Ottoman, Russian, and British archival sources and embassy accounts to understand the changing legal and diplomatic status of Ottoman captives in Russia between roughly 1739 and 1815. It is argued that during this period the Ottoman state gained a right it had not actively sought—that of demanding the release of its subjects, without ransom—and then became increasingly assertive about vindicating this right. In doing so, Ott…
War without War: The Battle of Navarino, the Ottoman Empire, and the Pacific Blockade
“O kadar esaretten sonra köle olmak için Rusya’ya dönecek halleri yok”: İmparatorluklar ve Kimlikler Arasında Ege’de Bir Şiddet Ağı
This article tells the story of one group of Greek-speaking privateers caught between the Ottoman and Russian empires during a protracted war between those two states in the late eighteenth century (1787-1792). The work uses the incident to explore the complex question of “who was an Ottoman,” and the vital effects the answer could have on the lives and livelihoods of those who negotiated their way between these two Black Sea imperial rivals. Dra…
The Burdens of Subjecthood: The Ottoman State, Russian Fugitives, and Interimperial Law, 1774–1869
This article analyzes the changing treaty law and practice governing the Ottoman state's attitude toward the subjects of its most important neighbor and most inveterate rival: the Russian Empire. The two empires were linked by both migration and unfreedom; alongside Russian slaves forcibly brought to the sultans’ domains, many others came as fugitives from serfdom and conscription. But beginning in the late 18th century, the Ottoman Empire reinfo…
The Meanings of Conversion: Treaty Law, State Knowledge, and Religious Identity among Russian Captives in the Eighteenth-Century Ottoman Empire
This article examines the role of religious conversion in the rules worked out, on paper and in practice, between the Ottoman and Russian empires for the return of captives following their frequent eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century conflicts. The author shows that the abolition of ransom led the Ottoman state to take the central role in the liberation of captives in private hands in its territories. For cultural and fiscal reasons, this re…
A: Reviews: Modern History and Politics
Additional informationNotes on contributorsPeter Hinchcliffe© 2009Peter Hinchcliffe© 2009Marc Valeri© 2009Julie Colegrove© 2009Husam Mohamed© 2009Husam Mohamed© 2009Cherine Shams El-Din© 2009Bruno De Nicola© 2009Will Smiley© 2009Amanullah De Sondy© 2009Babken V. Babajanian© 2009Luke Peterson© 2009Luke Peterson© 2009Manar H. Makhoul© 2009Ewan Stein© 2009Stephan Soehnchen© 2009Stephan Soehnchen© 2009Yonatan Mendel© 2009
Lawless Wars of Empire? The International Law of War in the Philippines, 1898–1903
Writing for his fellow military officers in early 1903, United States Army Major C.J. Crane reflected on the recent Philippine–American War. The bloody struggle to suppress an insurgency in the Philippines after the United States had annexed them from Spain in 1899 had officially concluded the previous July. The war had been accompanied by fierce racist sentiments among Americans, and in keeping with these, Crane described his foes as “the most t…
The Burdens of Subjecthood: The Ottoman State, Russian Fugitives, and Interimperial Law, 1774–1869
This article analyzes the changing treaty law and practice governing the Ottoman state's attitude toward the subjects of its most important neighbor and most inveterate rival: the Russian Empire. The two empires were linked by both migration and unfreedom; alongside Russian slaves forcibly brought to the sultans’ domains, many others came as fugitives from serfdom and conscription. But beginning in the late 18th century, the Ottoman Empire reinfo…
Freeing “The Enslaved People of Islam: The Changing Meaning of Ottoman Subjecthood for Captives in the Russian Empire
This article draws on Ottoman, Russian, and British archival sources and embassy accounts to understand the changing legal and diplomatic status of Ottoman captives in Russia between roughly 1739 and 1815. It is argued that during this period the Ottoman state gained a right it had not actively sought—that of demanding the release of its subjects, without ransom—and then became increasingly assertive about vindicating this right. In doing so, Ott…
The Meanings of Conversion: Treaty Law, State Knowledge, and Religious Identity among Russian Captives in the Eighteenth-Century Ottoman Empire
This article examines the role of religious conversion in the rules worked out, on paper and in practice, between the Ottoman and Russian empires for the return of captives following their frequent eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century conflicts. The author shows that the abolition of ransom led the Ottoman state to take the central role in the liberation of captives in private hands in its territories. For cultural and fiscal reasons, this re…
A: Reviews: Modern History and Politics
Additional informationNotes on contributorsPeter Hinchcliffe© 2009Peter Hinchcliffe© 2009Marc Valeri© 2009Julie Colegrove© 2009Husam Mohamed© 2009Husam Mohamed© 2009Cherine Shams El-Din© 2009Bruno De Nicola© 2009Will Smiley© 2009Amanullah De Sondy© 2009Babken V. Babajanian© 2009Luke Peterson© 2009Luke Peterson© 2009Manar H. Makhoul© 2009Ewan Stein© 2009Stephan Soehnchen© 2009Stephan Soehnchen© 2009Yonatan Mendel© 2009
The Meanings of Conversion: Treaty Law, State Knowledge, and Religious Identity among Russian Captives in the Eighteenth-Century Ottoman Empire
This article examines the role of religious conversion in the rules worked out, on paper and in practice, between the Ottoman and Russian empires for the return of captives following their frequent eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century conflicts. The author shows that the abolition of ransom led the Ottoman state to take the central role in the liberation of captives in private hands in its territories. For cultural and fiscal reasons, this re…
“O kadar esaretten sonra köle olmak için Rusya’ya dönecek halleri yok”: İmparatorluklar ve Kimlikler Arasında Ege’de Bir Şiddet Ağı
This article tells the story of one group of Greek-speaking privateers caught between the Ottoman and Russian empires during a protracted war between those two states in the late eighteenth century (1787-1792). The work uses the incident to explore the complex question of “who was an Ottoman,” and the vital effects the answer could have on the lives and livelihoods of those who negotiated their way between these two Black Sea imperial rivals. Dra…
The Burdens of Subjecthood: The Ottoman State, Russian Fugitives, and Interimperial Law, 1774–1869
This article analyzes the changing treaty law and practice governing the Ottoman state's attitude toward the subjects of its most important neighbor and most inveterate rival: the Russian Empire. The two empires were linked by both migration and unfreedom; alongside Russian slaves forcibly brought to the sultans’ domains, many others came as fugitives from serfdom and conscription. But beginning in the late 18th century, the Ottoman Empire reinfo…
War without War: The Battle of Navarino, the Ottoman Empire, and the Pacific Blockade
Freeing “The Enslaved People of Islam: The Changing Meaning of Ottoman Subjecthood for Captives in the Russian Empire
This article draws on Ottoman, Russian, and British archival sources and embassy accounts to understand the changing legal and diplomatic status of Ottoman captives in Russia between roughly 1739 and 1815. It is argued that during this period the Ottoman state gained a right it had not actively sought—that of demanding the release of its subjects, without ransom—and then became increasingly assertive about vindicating this right. In doing so, Ott…
From Slaves to Prisoners of War
The Ottoman–Russian wars of the eighteenth century reshaped the map of Eurasia and the Middle East, but they also birthed a novel concept—the prisoner of war. For centuries, hundreds of thousands of captives, civilians and soldiers alike, crossed the legal and social boundaries of these empires, destined for either ransom or enslavement. But in the eighteenth century, the Ottoman state and its Russian rival, through conflict and diplomacy, worked…
Those Left Out
As the Ottoman law of captivity expanded to include other sovereign states at the close of the eighteenth century, the rules also left out many of the Porte’s enemies. This chapter argues that rebels, pirates, and certain types of slaves trafficked into the Ottoman Empire remained unprotected by either the prisoner-of-war system, the Law of Release, or both. Ottoman subjects, or those who could claim no major empire’s subjecthood, had far fewer p…
From the Law of Ransom to the Law of Release
This chapter charts the “Law of Release,” a new system of rules that replaced the Law of Ransom. These rules were based on treaties signed from 1739 onward, but also on a variety of lesser agreements and unwritten understandings and the Islamic legal tradition. They were renewed frequently, and structured captivity as late as the 1850s. This chapter will explore the basic structures of the Law of Release—how captives were found, released, and sen…
Slavery and Ransom: The Ottoman Empire, Russia, and International Law
This chapter explores captives’ fates after their capture, all along the Ottoman land and maritime frontiers, arguing that this was largely determined by individuals’ value for ransom or sale. First this was a matter of localized customary law; then it became a matter of inter-imperial rules, the “Law of Ransom.” The chapter discusses the nature of slavery in the Ottoman Empire, emphasizing the role of elite households, and the varying prices for…
Lawless Wars of Empire? The International Law of War in the Philippines, 1898–1903
Writing for his fellow military officers in early 1903, United States Army Major C.J. Crane reflected on the recent Philippine–American War. The bloody struggle to suppress an insurgency in the Philippines after the United States had annexed them from Spain in 1899 had officially concluded the previous July. The war had been accompanied by fierce racist sentiments among Americans, and in keeping with these, Crane described his foes as “the most t…
Rebellion, Sovereignty, and Islamic Law in the Ottoman Age of Revolutions
This article traces how Ottoman interpretations and uses of Islamic law adapted to deal with non-Muslim rebellions between roughly 1769 and 1830. Drawing on Ottoman fatwas (legal opinions), bureaucratic registers, sultanic decrees, and chronicles, as well as British diplomatic records, it argues that the Ottoman state actively reinterpreted its commitment to the Islamic legal tradition in order to forge the law of rebellion into a weapon against …
So novel in its character from any thing known: Ottoman Antislavery Policy Under Mahmud II
In 1830, Sultan Mahmud II issued a sweeping order freeing enslaved people. Scholars have often been puzzled by this apparently unprecedented 1830 decree, and they have sometimes seen it as the beginning of Ottoman abolition. Yet the academic consensus is that Ottoman state efforts against slavery began only later, in 1847 at the earliest. This article attempts to resolve the discrepancy. By studying the original order and placing it in context, I…
War, States, and International Order: Alberico Gentili and the Foundational Myth of the Laws of War by Claire Vergerio
Journal Article War, States, and International Order: Alberico Gentili and the Foundational Myth of the Laws of War by Claire Vergerio Get access Claire Vergerio. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2022. 297 pp.$99.99. Will Smiley Will Smiley University of New Hampshire Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Political Science Quarterly, qqae024, https://doi.org/10.1093/psquar/qqae024 Published: 10 April 2024 …
Tipu and the Tabur
This article examines connections and influences between Muslim polities across the Indian Ocean in the eighteenth century through the legacy of an embassy sent by Tipu Sultan of Mysore to the Ottoman Empire in 1787. It argues that the soldiers who came with the embassy offered Ottoman elites a new model of performativity and military labor. This helped inspire one of the most important transformations in the history of the Ottoman state: the Niz…
Political science (13 works) · Law (12 works) · History (9 works) · Law (8 works) · Islamic Studies and History (7 works) · Ottoman empire (7 works) · Politics (7 works) · Ancient history (6 works) · American Constitutional Law and Politics (5 works) · Colonialism, slavery, and trade (5 works)