Gifts for Ottoman army: A contribution to the material culture of Belgrade in the 16th century

Abstract

Gift-giving and gift-receiving, as an expressions of suzerainty, patronage and favor on one hand and gratitude and loyalty on the other hand, were deeply rooted in Ottoman society. This practice had extraordinary significance in the relation ruler - army, especially in wartime. At the end of the 16th century, during the Long War 1593-1606, a shipment of over fifty different sorts of objects was sent from Belgrade Treasury to Istanbul to be distributed to the army after the campaign. The list of the sent items (military equipment, armory, carpets, fabrics, cushions, kitchenware and others), which is housed today in the Archive of the Topkapı Sarayı, is one of the rarely preserved Ottoman documents that originated in Serbia and as such, it offers a unique insight to material culture of Belgrade and its surroundings. This paper examines gifts from Belgrade Treasury with the aim of revealing one fragment of the town daily life and indicating the routes of international trade that reached to our territory.

Keywords

• Ottoman Empire
• gift
• armory
• textile
• silk
• cotton
• porcelain