My Lord,
Your Lordship’s most humble, most faithful, and most devoted servant,
Paul Rycaut
An Epistle to the Reader
A Respectful Address to the Reader
Courteous Reader,
I present to you a true and careful description of the government and religion of the Turks. This work is meant to give a clear and well-ordered understanding of their system, rather than a collection of loose observations. Many travelers before me have written about Turkey only as they passed through it. They recorded what they saw or heard by chance during their journeys, often relying on stories told by fellow passengers or strangers met along the way.
Such accounts, though sometimes entertaining, are often uncertain. They are easily filled with errors and misunderstandings, because they come from brief encounters and second-hand reports. A traveler who stays only a short time in a country cannot fully understand its laws, customs, or deeper political structure Sightseeing Tour Sofia.
Long Residence and First-Hand Experience
My own experience is of a different kind. I lived in the Imperial City for five full years. During that time, I also traveled through many parts of Turkey. In addition, I served as Secretary to the Earl of Winchilsea, Lord Ambassador. This position allowed me regular and direct access to the chief ministers of state.
Through constant contact with them, and through many important negotiations that passed through my hands in the Turkish court, I was able to look more deeply into the workings of this government. What may seem strange or even barbarous to a hurried traveler becomes clearer when carefully observed over time. Long residence allows a person to see not only what appears on the surface, but also the rules, habits, and reasons that guide a society.
Sources of Information and Careful Study
The calculations I have made about the value of offices, and about the strength and number of soldiers in different cities and regions, are not guesses. They are taken from official registers and records used by the Turks themselves. My observations about their political system come either from principles explained by experienced ministers or from conclusions I reached through long personal experience.
As for their religion, I have described their articles of faith as they were explained to me by learned doctors and preachers of their law. I spoke with these men directly, sometimes with the help of gifts or payments, which allowed open and honest discussion.
Purpose of This Work
My aim is to provide a clear, reliable, and well-grounded account. I hope this work will help the reader understand the Turkish state and religion more accurately than writings based only on brief travel and uncertain reports.