In the sixteenth century, the empire's Jewish community created a complex organization for political representation, allowing them to both defend themselves against persecution and to influence the legislative process. This study shows how this organization emerged as a response to the challenges of the time, how it developed during the course of the century, and how it was entrenched within the political culture and system of the empire.

Avraham Siluk, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.