Pax Ottomana (literally "the Ottoman Peace") is a recent, post-1990's term, used in Turkey, usually to describe the stability attained on lands taken over by the Ottoman Empire. Most of regions in question had been experiencing misrule and violence (for instance from the Despotate of Epiros) before Ottoman reign. The term is derived from the more common Pax Romana, "the Roman Peace". The Ottoman Empire, at the height of its power during the 16th and 17th centuries, covered the Balkans and Anatolia, most of the Middle East and North Africa as well as Caucasia; after World War I, only Anatolia remained under Ottoman rule. The remaining regions have experienced social, economic, and political instability following the demise of Ottoman rule. This instability has only been exacerbated by the end of the Cold War. Many historians from the Republic of Turkey who hold a favorable view of the Ottomans therefore prefer to use the term Pax Ottomana to underline the positive impact of Ottoman rule on these regions.
See also
There are several other terms derived from Pax Romana. See the following:
- Pax Americana
- Pax Britannica
- Pax Europeana
- Pax Germanica
- Pax Hispanica
- Pax Mongolica
- Pax Praetoriana
- Pax Sinica
- Pax Syriana
References
Kemal Cicek (ed.). 2001. Pax Ottomana: Studies in Memoriam Prof. Dr. Nejat Goyunc (1925-2001). Ankara: Haarlem. İlber Ortaylı. 2007. Osmanlı Barışı (Ottoman Peace). İstanbul: Timaş.
