Ottoman historians also shared a common attribute as social critics, never shirking their perceived duty to protect the sultans reputation by condemning the misdeeds of wrongdoers and contraveners of the best traditions of ethical behavior and good governance, even when these misdeeds issued from the top ranks of Ottoman society. For them corporate or class solidarity was far less important than an unswerving commitment to shared values and principles and a reformist spirit is clearly detectible in their wr