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social aspects of the ottoman empire
The city of Agrabah was made up just for Aladdin yet holds many similarities to ancient civilizations. The palace itself is reminiscent of the Taj Mahal in India, the deserts are similar to the plains of the Sahara, and the clothing is reminiscent of ancient Middle East cultures. After connecting many hints given through the movie, it is logical to assume the city is along the Jordan river and takes place during the Ottoman Empire. While the empire itself was very successful in growing through conquest, the truly beautiful aspect of their civilization is how revolutionary their social structure was. Instead of having rigid layers that people were confined to, the Ottoman Empire allowed for fluidity through the different classes. People could raise simply by having connections that allowed them to train in other more prestigious disciplines. Aladdin is part of the lowest social class but by the end he was a part of the highest possible. While it was impossible to become a Sultan if you were not born as one, the ability to rise in one generation was entirely possible. This is very different from many other cultures and allowed for the ottomans to remain in control of a vast area for such a long period of time. The highest level possible was being a part of the royal family. This is where Jasmine would stand because she is the daughter of the Sultan. While it was impossible to rise into this class because people in this class were only allowed to marry royalty, the other classes were much easier to move into. The next social class were the Men of the Pen. These were the scholars that advised the Sultan on decisions. They were held in high regard because it allowed the Sultan to make decisive and knowledgeable decisions. The next class was the Men of the Sword. These are the soldiers and guards of the kingdom. The next class is the Men of Negotiation. These are the merchants and tradesmen found in all outskirts of the kingdom. Finally, the lowest class was the Men of Husbandry. These are the farmers and artisans of the empire. While many of these classes did look down on the ones below them, they did respect those that put in the work to rise up.
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