Diffusions, Markov Processes and Martingales：Volume 2, Itô Calculus

GaborAgoston'sbookcontributestoanemergingstrandofmilitaryhistory,thatexaminesorganisedviolenceasachallengetoearlymodernstates,theirsocietiesandeconomies.HisisthefirsttoexaminetheweaponstechnologyandarmamentsindustriesoftheOttomanEmpire,theonlyIslamicempirethatthreatenedEuropeonitsownterritoryintheageoftheGunpowderRevolution.BasedonextensiveresearchintheTurkisharchives,thebookaffordsmuchinsightregardingtheearlysuccessandsubsequentfailureofanIslamicempireagainstEuropeanadversaries.ItdemonstratesOttomanflexibilityandtheexistenceofanearlymodernarmsmarketandinformationexchangeacrosstheculturaldivide,aswellasOttomanself-sufficiencyinweaponsandarmsproductionwellintotheeighteenthcentury.ChallengingthesweepingstatementsofEurocentricandOrientalistscholarship,thebookdisputesthenotionofIslamicconservatism,theOttomans'supposedtechnologicalinferiorityandtheallegedinsufficienciesinproductioncapacity.Thisisaprovocative,intelligentandpenetratinganalysis,whichsuccessfullycontendstraditionalperceptionsofOttomanandIslamichistory.