The "fascinating . . . lively" story of the Russian slave girl Roxelana, who rose from concubine to become the only queen of the Ottoman empire (New York Times). In Empress of the East, historian Leslie Peirce tells the remarkable story of a Christian slave girl, Roxelana, who was abducted by slave traders from her Ruthenian homeland and brought to the harem of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent in Istanbul. Suleyman became besotted with her and foreswore all other concubines. Then, in an unprecedented step, he freed her and married her. The bold and canny Roxelana soon became a shrewd diplomat and philanthropist, who helped Suleyman keep pace with a changing world in which women, from Isabella of Hungary to Catherine de Medici, increasingly held the reins of power. Until now Roxelana has been seen as a seductress who brought ruin to the empire, but in Empress of the East, Peirce reveals the true history of an elusive figure who transformed the Ottoman harem into an institution of imperial rule.

Without the labor of the captives and slaves, the Ottoman empire could not have attained and maintained its strength in early modern times. With Anatolia as the geographic focus, Leslie Peirce searches for the voices of the unfree, drawing on archives, histories written at the time, and legal texts. Unfree persons comprised two general populations: slaves and captives. Mostly household workers, slaves lived in a variety of circumstances, from squalor to luxury. Their duties varied with the status of their owner. Slave status might not last a lifetime, as Islamic law and Ottoman practice endorsed freeing one's slave. Captives were typically seized in raids, generally to disappear, their fates unknown. Victims rarely returned home, despite efforts of their families and neighbors to recover them. The reader learns what it was about the Ottoman environment of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries that offered some captives the opportunity to improve the conditions of their bondage. The book describes imperial efforts to fight against the menace of captive-taking despite the widespread corruption among the state's own officials, who had their own interest in captive labor. From the fortunes of captives and slaves the book moves to their representation in legend, historical literature, and law, where, fortunately, both captors and their prey are present.

Abducted by slave traders from her home in Ruthenia – modern-day Ukraine – around 1515, Roxelana was brought to Istanbul and trained in the palace harem as a concubine for Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, ruler of the Ottoman Empire and one of the world’s most powerful men.

Suleyman became besotted with Roxelana and foreswore all other concubines, freeing and marrying her. The bold and canny Roxelana became a shrewd diplomat and philanthropist, helping Suleyman keep pace with a changing world in which women – Isabella of Hungary, Catherine de Medici – were increasingly close to power.

Until now Roxelana has been seen by historians as a seductress who brought ruin to the empire, but in Empress of the East, acclaimed historian Leslie Peirce reveals with panache the compelling story of an elusive woman who transformed the Ottoman harem into an institution of imperial rule.

"Leslie Peirce has produced a meticulously researched and gloriously imagined work of historical scholarship. Her deep familiarity with the city of Aintab (today's Gaziantep) shines through on every page as she recreates the world of the city and its inhabitants in the middle of the sixteenth century. Using a wide variety of sources, Peirce departs from state-centered approach of much of Ottoman historiography and asks instead how individuals understood themselves and their place in Ottoman society. Her answers take us into areas of Ottoman society that are still obscure. We see Aintabans grappling with issues of class, morality, heresy, and the differences between men and women. Throughout, Peirce excavates the complicated relationship between a society that understands itself as Islamic but whose sources of meaning and order are not confined to the religious tradition."--Molly Greene, Princeton University

"This is another masterpiece that will, like Leslie Peirce's first book, become a classic. Once again, she shows a special talent for raising relevant issues that have remained unexplored and shedding light on older issues with illuminating interpretations. . . . The heterogeneity of law and the variability of justice emerge clearly, as do the flexibility and fluidity of legal practices, justice as a process not a structure, and law as a product of debate among providers and users."--Lucette Valensi, author of "La Fuite en Egypte: Histoires d'Orient et d'Occident, 2002

"Leslie Peirce guides the reader through the Anatolian town of Aintab, twenty-five years after its incorporation into the Ottoman Empire. Using the local court records for the year 1540-1541 and the fascinatingaccounts of women talkingaesometimes even shouting and cursingaetheir way into court, she reveals the intricacies of the legal system at the crossroads of imperial law and local custom. . . . Morality Tales is a must for Ottomanists, to whom it will offer a truly innovative methodology and a brilliant portrayal and analysis of this complex and fascinating period. More important, however, this book will reveal to a wider audience that Ottoman history has a lot to contribute to the understanding of early modern society and politics."--Edhem Eldem, Bogazici University, Istanbul