The Ottoman Empire 1326–1699

The Ottomans waged war hard, but they governed their conquests with a light hand. The very nature of the territory they inherited made it vital that people looked after themselves. The Ottomans were always interested in effective forms of self-government. 'They pay great respect to the customs of foreign mations,' wrote a commentator, 'even to the detriment of their religious scruples.' However, there was a great deal of common sense behind the idea. When they acquired the mines of the Balkans they reissued the exemplary Saxon mining laws rather than imposing a new scheme of their own.