TRENDEFRAtlas of the Sultans · Glossary
Term · Society
Also known as: millet
The organisation of the subjects of the Ottoman state according to religious communities (millets).
In Ottoman usage millet did not mean “nation” in today's sense but the followers of a particular religion: the Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Jewish communities were organised under their own religious leaders. These communities ran matters such as worship, education, marriage and inheritance by their own rules.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, article “MİLLET” (in Turkish); text condensed for the atlas.