Lectures on Tap - The Slaves Who Ruled an Empire: Machinery of Ottoman Rule

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🧠 Lecture: "The Slaves Who Ruled an Empire: Machinery of Ottoman Rule"

🎙️ Speaker: Dr. John J Murphy

Join us for a fascinating evening as Dr. John J Murphy uncovers how one of history’s greatest empires was built on a unique and unsettling form of slavery.

Far from the system most Americans imagine, the Ottoman servile structure allowed enslaved people to rise to extraordinary heights of power, wealth, and influence. Through institutions like the devshirme (child levy), the elite Janissary Corps, and the powerful palace eunuchs who controlled access to the sultan, the Ottomans deliberately ruled through outsiders—men without family ties or independent power bases, whose loyalty belonged entirely to the state.

These enslaved soldiers, administrators, and court officials governed provinces, commanded armies, and at times effectively ran the empire. Brutal yet brilliant, this system upends modern assumptions about slavery, freedom, and political authority.

This talk sets the stage for the entire series, revealing how an empire turned captivity into control—and why this strange system worked for centuries.

Get a drink, connect, and learn at Lectures on Tap! 🙌

Agenda

6:30 PM – Doors open: find a seat (open seating!), order food & drinks, and expect a bar line—arriving early is key.

6:55 PM – Host introduction

7:00 PM – Lecture begins

7:45 PM – Audience Q&A

8:00 PM – Have 1:1 time with the speaker, mingle with fellow guests, and order another round

8:30 PM – Wrap up.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Lincoln Park, Lincoln Park, Chicago, United States

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