The Ottoman Empire sheltered religious refugees persecuted in Europe

Evidence

A French king allied himself with a Turkish sultan against the Habsburg Empire; the Pope similarly forged an alliance opposing the Habsburg emperor’s plans for a crusade against the Ottomans. Jews fleeing Europe, particularly after their expulsion from Spain in 1492, found a home in the Ottoman Empire. This was true too of Protestants and other dissident Christians seeking to escape Catholic persecution. In short, the diversity that marked al-Andalus found its reflection in the Ottoman territories; Christians and Jews not only lived in an atmosphere of tolerance but also experienced prosperity. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 79

Categorization

• XREF: Directly relevant to the reader’s guiding question on Kumar connecting imperial projects to Zionism and Palestine — Jewish refuge in the Ottoman Empire is a pre-history of that connection. — connects to: Christians preferred Ottoman tolerance over Catholic persecution — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 75; The Ottoman Empire expanded significantly under Suleiman’s rule. — Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects, 1100; Medieval Jewish ghettos were spatial isolation with protective and oppressive dual effects (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• The Ottoman Empire expanded significantly under Suleiman’s rule. #expands (0.50) — Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects, 1100