Ottoman empire - Empire Building Flashcards
Who were the Ottomans? What were the known for? When did their empire form?
The Ottomans were very loyal people. They are Muslims, descendants of Mongols. They were known for their military resources and gun powder. One of the first people to use cannons. They thought they were ghazis. Their empire formed in the 1300s
Who was Osman I?
Osman I (in the west called Othman), was the first ottoman leader and a very successful ghazi. He built a small Muslim state in Anatolia between 1300 and 1326. His followers were called ottomans. They expanded by forming alliances, buying land and taking over.
Who was Orkhan I?
Orkhan I was the son of Osman I. He called himself sultan (the one with power/Sultan overlord). Took over Adrianople. He was fair to the people he took over Muslims had to serve in the army while non-muslims paid tax.
How was their expansion stopped?
Their expansion was stopped by a warrior from central Asia named Timur the lame. In 1402 this battle had taken place. Timur the lame had burned the city of Bhagad and defeated the Ottomans causing their expansion to stop.
The throne
The Sultans son fought over who would be the next ottoman leader. Mehmed II won the battle and ruled until his death followed by his son Murad II. Murad II was the first of 4 powerful sultans.
Mehmed II and Constantinople
Mehmed II took the throne at the age of 19 in 1451. At the age of 21, he decided to capture Constantinople. The was started on 6th April 1453. They tried to use cannons to break the walls surrounding the city but they couldn’t. Balkan engineer Orban I offered byzantine for help but after they rejected him he went to the ottomans, Mehmed II bought big cannons. They captured ships to free the waterside and then attacked from two sides. The war ended on 29th May 1453 and was renamed Istanbul
Who was Selim the Grim? How did he get the throne? What places did he capture?
Selim the Grim was the grandson of Mehmed II. He killed all the male relatives in his family to inherit the throne. The captured North Africa, Palestine, Syria, Persia and Egypt.
How did Selim the Grim take over Egypt?
At first Selim the Grim had attacked Syria, knowing that the Egyptians would get scared. The Egyptians joined hands with Syria and attacked him first. Selim knew this was coming and wanted Egypt due to trade and the holy cities Mekka and Madina. He arrived at Cario on Feb 1517 and the Mamluks had a brutal defeat from him. The head of the Mamluks was later placed on spikes. All the value was taken to Istanbul and Cario was turned into a provincial town.
Describe the Ottoman endurance under the rule of Suleyman the magnificent
The Ottoman endurance consisted of 3 main parts, The devshirme system, janissaries and The millet system.
Devshirme system - Christian boys were taken and recruited by the government, they were educated and their capability was determined.
Janissaries - Christian boys converted to Islam. They are the most advanced military group and were not allowed to mary/conduct businesses. This became hereditary.
The millet system - Small self-governing non-Muslim communities with a leader who has duties such as tax and security
Who was Suleyman the Magnificient
Sulieman the Magnificient was the sultan of the Ottoman empire and the Caliph of Islam from 1520 to 1266. The empire was the biggest under his rule. his rule represented one of the most peaceful times of Ottoman history. He was known as magnificent in the west, but to his people, he was known as the lawgiver due to his style of ruling the empire. This was the Golden Age of the Ottomans.
How did Suleyman The Magnificient take the throne
He was appointed the governor of Kaffa at the age of 17 and this is how he learned how politics and law work. He learned about different cultures and places in the empire. In 1520 His father ( Selim the Grim) died and Suleyman become the new sultan of the Ottoman Empire at the age of 26.
How were the Ottomans under Suleyman rule
He was a great military leader. When he took the throne he began a military campaign to expand his empire. He dreamed of a big empire that stretched from Europe to India. He took over parts of Hungary and Romania. He also built a powerful navy and had control of the Mediterranean. His laws lasted for over 100 years and the laws followed were called Shari’ah or Sacred Islamic code. He was a tolerant ruler, People were able to practice any religion and their own beliefs. He protected Jews from persecution. He created a simple tax system and supported the arts. Became sick and died in Hungary on September 7, 1566. His death was hidden for 2 months. He killed his elder son and due to this the empire declined.
How did the empire decline?
The empire lost its economic and military dominance to Europe. Since they were so strong others tried to weaken them. Had to compete to trade with America and India. Had a destructive rivalry with Russia. During the Balkan war, the empire lost almost all of its territories in Europe. All leaders after Suleyman’s death were not able to control such a big empire
