The Byzantine Turks, 1204-1461

by Rustam Shukurov

In The Byzantine Turks, 1204-1461 Rustam Shukurov offers an account of the Turkic minority in Late Byzantium including the Nicaean, Palaiologan, and Grand Komnenian empires. The demography of the Byzantine Turks and the legal and cultural aspects of their entrance into Greek society are discussed in detail. Greek and Turkish bilingualism of Byzantine Turks and Tourkophonia among Greeks were distinctive features of Byzantine society of the time. Basing his arguments upon linguistic, social, and cultural evidence found in a wide range of Greek, Latin, and Oriental sources, Rustam Shukurov convincingly demonstrates how Oriental influences on Byzantine life led to crucial transformations in Byzantine mentality, culture, and political life. The study is supplemented with an etymological lexicon of Oriental names and words in Byzantine Greek.

Genres: History

528 pages, Hardcover

First published May 19, 2016

Reviews

[Batuhan Erdogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is the best work on the topic I have come across so far. I would recommend it to everybody interested in parts of Anatolian history that have not yet been covered in due detail.

[Thomas Ayre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot criticise the writer's extensive research as he is clearly extremely knowledgable - in a subject I have limited knowledge about - but rather in the last few pages he seems to begin a new subject, fascinating idea, that sadly I feel is entered too late and is not expanded on.