TRENDEFRAtlas of the Sultans · Glossary
Term · Society
Also known as: zimmi, ehl-i zimmet
Non-Muslim subjects of the Islamic state, protected by a covenant (dhimma) and paying the jizya.
The lives, property and religious freedom of dhimmis were guaranteed by the state; in return they paid the jizya and did not serve in the army. In the Ottoman state dhimmis lived within the millet system, attached to their own communities. The Tanzimat and the Reform Edict introduced the principle of equality among subjects.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, article “ZİMMΔ (in Turkish); text condensed for the atlas.