ottoman reading

I find it interesting that in the generations following Suleiman that the mothers of reigning sultans became the most powerful people in the household. She works behind the scenes, an invisible player. In a man's world it is difficult for women to attain power herself, she has to manipulate those who have power.
           I couldn't help but get lost, I was confused by the complexity of the Ottoman economic structure. How did they keep track of all the deeds, investments and permits? Did they have paper then, or were they suing parchment? Who was responsible for the organization and safe keeping of these records? It Seems very chaotic to me. The Ottomans don't do so well in their military conquests, from what this reading tells me. They use their monopoly on the trade routes from Europe to India and beyond to make an exorbitant amount of money with their customs houses, an old form of tariffs. I can respect their guile.