Origins of the Ottoman Empire

Gary Leiser is a Middle East Historian, Headquarters, Twenty-Second Air Force at Travis Air Force Base. He has also translated and edited A History of the Seljuks: Ibrahim Kafesogûlu's Interpretation and the Resulting Controversy.

"The translation of Köprülü's seminal work into English is long overdue and sorely needed in the classroom. It is, therefore, a pleasure to see it translated most competently. Leiser's prose is smooth and limpid, which is an improvement over the author's often convoluted (though never opaque) narrative. The addition of a bibliography and the recasting of the footnotes is laudable."It deals with a most significant historical issue in an original, comprehensive and incisive manner. Especially impressive is the depth that the author brings to his subject as (among other things) an Islamicist, a dimension that is normally missing from scholars of Ottoman history." — Ahmet T. Karamustafa, Washington University

• Abbreviations Preface Preface to the French Edition Introduction to the Turkish Edition 1. The Question of the Founding of the Ottoman Empire and How it Should be Studied A. Gibbons' Theory: Summary and CriticismB. The Conditions Necessary to Study the Problem in a Logical Manner 2. A Review of the Political and Social History of Anatolia in the Thirteenth Century and the First Half of the Fourteenth Century A. Major Political EventsB. Ethnic FactorsC. A Brief Outline of the Social and Economic HistoryD. Intellectual Life 3. Life Along the Border and the Founding of the Ottoman Empire A. The Tribe of OsmanB. Life on the MarchesC. The Early History of the Ottoman State Notes Glossary Bibliography Index