In the Shadow of Fear in the Ottoman Empire

Fear is hidden not only in major disasters but also in the smallest details of daily life. In Ottoman society, individuals often feared not punishment itself but the possibility of being punished; more than the event itself, they feared the thought of "what will people say."

The Shadow of Fear in the Ottoman Empire tells the unseen face of social life through these "small fears," traces of which are found in Ottoman kadi registers. Neighborhood pressure, apprehension towards state officials, threats whose mere possibility changed behaviors... All these allow us to look at history from a different perspective.

This work, penned by Nurcan Abacı, reminds us that fear is not just an emotion; it is a powerful mechanism that shapes human behavior and molds social order. It leaves the reader with both historical documents and a universal question extending to the present day:
How do our fears shape us?