New English Original bdg. HC. Roy. 8vo. (24 x17 cm). In English. [xLiv], 223 p., ills., in English; [+] 144 p. facsimile of the BEO 350 Protocol Register in Ottoman script. The BEO 350 protocol register edited here is part of the Sublime Porte Archives series of the Prime Ministry Ottoman State Archives in Istanbul. The register covers a number of ceremonies held on various occasions from 1736 to 1808 and primarily concerned with accession ceremonies, funerals and, most of all, the reception of envoys. This edition of the BEO 350 is accompanied by an introduction, a synoptic list of ceremonies, appendices, and indexes. The introduction examines various aspects of Ottoman ceremonies, particularly those of a diplomatic nature, and includes a section on the gifts and offerings exchanged by the Ottoman administration and foreign envoys. As briefly discussed in the introduction, ceremonies contribute, albeit modestly, to the validation of a regime's political legitimacy and to its smooth functioning. When trying to determine the relationship between ceremonial rites and political power, the lofty symbolism of ceremonies needs to be interpreted with great care. Thus, detailed descriptions such as those found in protocol registers are extremely valuable, indeed indispensable, for a solid interpretation.
