Can Nacar’s Labor and Power in the Late Ottoman Empire focuses on the work experiences of tobacco workers between 1872 and 1912, as well as their relationship with workplace managers and the state. The Ottoman tobacco industry employed tens of thousands workers and grew rapidly throughout the empire during that period, while tobacco stores and factories became the scene of many labor movements. Labor and Power presents a detailed analysis of these activities, revealing the difficult struggle of workers to ensure better working and living conditions.

This book offers valuable information about the changing power relations between labor and capital in the Ottoman Empire, and the role of state actors in these. The work is based on primary Ottoman and British archival documents and periodicals.