Ottoman society organised difference through the institution of the millet. In official usage, the term, though it meant “nation”, denoted a religious community endowed with corporate standing. By the Sultan’s grant, monotheist bodies—Christians, Jews and others—received a defined legal status. Protection came by charter, the ahdname (ahtiname), which set out the conditions of life in common. Within their own spheres, millets maintained courts and disciplines grounded in religious law, managed their internal revenues, and lived under the overarching authority of the throne. Read more about Religion and Identities in the Ottoman Empire