Malissa Taylor

Malissa Taylor is Associate Professor and Director of the Middle Eastern Studies Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Specializing in early modern Ottoman history (1400-1800), her research examines agrarian empires, property rights, and religious-political authority. Her recent book investigates how Ottoman property rights evolved into a distinct indigenous system that shaped economic and social structures.

Research challenges conventional interpretations of Ottoman land law, demonstrating how peasant cultivators influenced property rights development. Current work analyzes treasury-owned land classifications and critiques theories linking property security solely to elite-ruler dynamics.

Fellowships include awards from Fulbright-Hays, CAORC, Woodrow Wilson Foundation, and Lilly Fellowship. She teaches courses on Ottoman history, Sufism, gender studies, and environmental history of the Middle East.