The Ottoman

Empire

Rise of the Ottoman Turks

• In the late thirteenth century, a new group of Turks under their leader Osman began to build power in the northwest corner of the Anatolian Peninsula.

• In the early fourteenth century, the Osman Turks began to expand and began the Ottoman dynasty.

Expansion of the Empire

• The Ottomans expanded west-ward and eventually controlled the Bosporus and the Dardanelles.• These two straits (narrow passage-ways), separated by the sea of Marmara, connected the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, which leads to the Mediterranean.• The Byzantine Empire had controlled this area for centuries.

Janissaries

• In the 14th century, the Ottoman Turks expanded into the Balkans.

• The Ottoman rulers built a strong military by developing an elite guard called Janissaries. • Recruited from the local

Christian population, the janissaries were converted to Islam.

• Trained as foot soldiers or administrators, they served the sultan.

Expansion

•As knowledge of firearms spread in the late 14th century the Ottomans began to master the new technology.

• The Janissaries, trained as a well-armed infantry, were able to spread Ottoman control in the Balkans.

•With their new forces, the Ottomans defeated the Serbs at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389.

•During the 1390s, they advanced northward and annexed Bulgaria.

The Byzantine Empire

•Over the next 300 years, Ottoman rule expanded to areas in western Asia, North Africa, and Europe.

•Under the leadership of Mehmed II, the Ottomans moved to end the Byzantine Empire.

•With 80,000 troops ranged against only 7,000 defenders, Mehmed laid siege to Constantinople.

The fall of the Byzantines

• The attack began on April 6, 1453, as the Ottomans bombarded the city with massive cannons hurling stone balls weighing up to 1,200 lbs each.• The Byzantines took their final stand behind the walls along the western edge of the city.• They fought desperately for almost two months to save their city.• Finally, on May 29, the walls were breached, and Ottoman soldiers poured into the city.

Constantinople in Ruins

• The Byzantine emperor died in the final battle, and a great three-day sack of the city began.

•When Mehmed II saw the ruin and destruction, he lamented, “what a city we have given over to plunder and destruction.”

Expansion Continues

•With their new capital at Constantinople (later renamed Istanbul), the Ottoman Turks dominated the Balkans and the Anatolian Peninsula.• From 1514 to 1517, Sultan Selim I took control of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Arabia – the original heartland of Islam. • Through these conquests, Selim I was now in control of several of Islam’s holy cities. • Jerusalem, Mecca, and Medina.

• Selim declared himself new Caliph• Defender of the faith and the successor to

Muhammad.

Ottoman Rule

• The Ottomans were Muslims.

•Where possible, they administered their conquered regions through local rulers.

• The central government appointed officials, or pashas, who collected taxes, maintained law and order, and were directly responsible to the Sultan’s court in Constantinople.

Ottomans in Europe

• The Turks eventually moved to Austria and the western Mediterranean until the Spanish defeated a large Ottoman fleet in 1571.• The ottomans laid siege to Vienna, but were repulsed by a European army and were then pushed out of Hungary.• They retained the core of their empire, but would never again threaten central Europe.

Gunpowder Empire

• The Ottoman Empire was one of the empires often called a “gunpowder empire” • Gunpowder empires were

formed by outside conquerors who unified the regions they conquered.

•A gunpowder empire’s success was largely based on its mastery of firearm technology. •At the head of the Ottoman system was the sultan• who was the supreme authority

both politically and militarily.

Sultan Life

• The private domain of the sultan was the harem• where he and his wives

resided.

•When a son became sultan, his mother became queen mother and often had power as an advisor.

•An imperial council helped govern.

• It was led by the grand vizier.

Ulema

• The Ottomans were Sunni Muslims.

•Ottoman sultans began claiming the title of caliph in the 16th century.

• They gave part of their religious duties to a group of religious advisors called the Ulema.

• This group administered the legal system and the schools.

Treatment of the Locals

• The Ottomans were generally tolerant of non-Muslims, who made up a significant minority.

•Non-muslims paid a tax, but were allowed to practice their religion or convert to Islam

• In some areas, such as present-day Bosnia, many converted.

Ottoman Society

• In addition to the ruling class, there were four main occupational groups: • peasants, artisan, merchants, and pastoral people.

•Merchants were the most privileged class.

•All land was ultimately owned by the Sultan.

•Under the Ottomans, women had somewhat better positions than other Muslims women.• Women were allowed to own and inherit their

property.

• They could not be forced into marriage and were sometimes allowed to divorce.

Suleyman the Magnificent

• The Ottoman Empire reached its height under Suleyman I, Called Suleyman the Magnificent.

•After Suleyman’s death, sultans became less involved in government, ministers exercised more power and corruption grew.

Change in the Empire

•Change in the empire was also brought about by the exchange of Western and Ottoman ideas and customs.

•Officials and merchants began to imitate Europeans In their clothes, furniture, and art.

• Some sultans attempted to outlaw certain Western goods, such as coffee and tobacco.

End of Military Expansion

• The economy was troubled by inflation and the imbalance of trade between the empire and Europe.

• The Ottomans did not invest in manufacturing and could not compete with European manufactured goods.

• The declining economy left little money for military expansion.

Th

e O

tto

ma

n E

mp

ire

Na

me

_______________________

1.

Wh

o c

rea

ted

th

e O

tto

ma

n E

mp

ire

?

2.

Wh

en

th

e O

tto

ma

ns

exp

an

de

d w

est

-wa

rd w

ha

t d

id t

he

y

co

ntr

ol?

3.

Wh

o w

ere

Ja

nis

sarie

s?

4.

Wh

at

allo

we

d t

he

Ott

om

an

s to

exp

an

d?

5.

Wh

o le

d t

he

att

ac

k o

n t

he

Byza

ntin

e E

mp

ire

?

6.

Wh

at

wa

s th

e C

ap

ita

l o

f th

e B

yza

ntin

e E

mp

ire

?

7.

Aft

er

ca

ptu

rin

g M

eso

po

tam

ia, Eg

yp

t a

nd

Arib

ia w

ha

t d

id S

elim

I c

on

tro

l?

8.

Wh

at

is a

ca

liph

?

9.

Wh

o w

ere

Pa

sha

s?

10.

Wh

o d

id t

he

Ott

om

an

s fig

ht

in E

uro

pe

? w

ho

de

fea

ted

or

pu

she

d t

he

m o

ut?

11.

Wh

at

is a

gu

np

ow

de

r e

mp

ire

?

12.

Wh

at

is a

Su

lta

n?

13.

Wh

at

is a

Ha

rem

?

14.

Wh

at

is a

gra

nd

viz

ier?

15.

Wh

o w

ere

th

e U

lem

a

16.

Ho

w d

id t

he

Ott

om

an

s tr

ea

t th

e lo

ca

ls?

17.

Wh

at

we

re t

he

fo

ur

oc

cu

pa

tio

na

l g

rou

ps?

18.

Wh

o w

ere

wo

me

n t

rea

ted

in

th

e O

tto

ma

n E

mp

ire

?

19.

Wh

o r

ule

d t

he

Ott

om

an

Em

pire

at

its

he

igh

t?

20.

Wh

at

ch

an

ge

d t

he

Em

pire

?

21.

Wh

at

en

de

d m

ilita

ry e

xp

an

sio

n?