Cafés and Tobacco in the Ottoman State: A Conflict Between Authority and Society (1600-1900)

Abstract

This study reveals the interaction between coffeehouses and tobacco consumption in the Ottoman Empire, focusing on the contrast between official policies and societal practices. The study shows that the authorities' handling of this phenomenon underwent radical transformations, starting with the strict ban during the reign of Murad IV (1612-1640), which included severe penalties such as execution, passing through intermittent phases of strictness and laxity, and ending with gradual acceptance in the eighteenth century AD, when tobacco became an integral part of daily life despite official opposition. The study also clarifies the clear contradiction between portraying tobacco as a moral corruption in official discourse and its widespread prevalence among all groups, including religious and administrative elites who practiced it secretly or openly, reflecting a gap between religious ideals and social reality. The evolution of coffeehouses from entertainment venues into cultural and political centers increased the authorities' concerns, leading them to monitor and curb their activity, especially as these places became points for exchanging ideas and organizing protests, as these spaces formed the nucleus of a social movement that challenged traditional power structures.