This book examines the role of institutions and law on the economic performance of the Ottoman Empire between 1500 and 1800. By focussing on the pre-industrial period, the transition to industrialisation and the mechanisms behind it can be explored. Particular attention is given to the allocation of financial resources towards more productive and efficient economic activities and the role this played in economic divergence among societies. A comparative analysis with European societies highlights the importance of non-economic institutions during the pre-industrial period.This book aims to provide new analytical perspectives and ways of thinking about how the Ottoman Empire lost its powerful economic and political structures. It is relevant to students and researchers interested in economic history, law and economics, and the political economy.