Download or read book Sultan's Court written by Alain Grosrichard and published by Verso. This book was released on 1998-08-17 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A survey of Western accounts of "Oriental despotism" in the 17th and 18th centuries, focusing particularly on portrayals of the Ottoman empire and the supposedly enigmatic structure of the despot's court - the seraglio - with its viziers, dwarfs, mutes, eunuchs and countless wives.