Christians and Jewish people In Islamic belief, Jewish people and Christians were grouped with Muslims as ‘People of the Book’; that is, people who shared the background of the Hebrew (Jewish) Bible, with its narratives of Abraham, Moses and the prophets. As the territory controlled by the Sultans expanded, increasing numbers of Christians and Jewish people were living under Muslim rule. Although executions and forced conversions may have taken place occasionally, most people were generally left to practise their own religion under the millet system.
SOURCE7 A sixteenth-century illustration showing an Ottoman Jewish person from Constantinople and an Arab merchant
4.5 SkillBuilder activity HISTORICAL QUESTIONS Suleiman the Magnificent is remembered for his diplomacy and creative policy reforms, especially when dealing with the beliefs and customs of conquered peoples. Through the millet system, Jews and Christians were allowed to keep practising their religions if they paid taxes to Suleiman. In small groups, discuss : • the purpose of the millet system, including its advantages and disadvantages • whether the millet system could work in a modern context; identify and explore any possible positive and negative implications of such a system in modern society • whether it is necessary for all the citizens of a country to follow the same religion.
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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