ABSTRACT
The arrival of the Ottoman Turks in southeastern Europe opened the first chapter in the history of the Bosnian Muslims. The Bosnian Muslim elites undoubtedly experienced many prosperous years under the Ottoman regime in return for their staunch support of the empire. Ottoman society, with its strong urbanized characteristics, was imposed on the largely rural Balkan region. Two main elements characterized this society. First, in the Ottoman social structure, everyone had a fixed place, rights, and duties. Second, the Ottoman social and political structure exhibited Turkish and Byzantine elements superimposed on traditional Muslim practices. The success of European capitalism in the late seventeenth century and Europe's alluring markets undermined Ottoman attempts to industrialize or to increase their share of global commerce. The position of the Balkan Christian peasants under the Ottoman Empire began to deteriorate by the end of the sixteenth century.
