Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean
1. The Ottoman Empire
a. This empire was founded around 1300
b. Extended Islamic conquests into
eastern Europe
c. Was more similar to monarchs in
France and Spain than Islamic Caliphates
Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean
2. Expansion and Frontiers
a. Three factors for major growth
i. The shrewdness of its founded Osmam and his
descendants
ii. Control of a strategic link between Europe and
Asia at Gallipoli on the Dardanelles strait
iii. The creation of an army that took advantage of
the traditional skills of the Turkish cavalryman and
the new military possibilities presented by
gunpowder
Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean
b. At first, Ottoman armies concentrated on
Christian enemies in Greece and the Balkans
c. They then wanted to capture the Byzantine
capital of Constantinople
i. In 1453, the city was captured thanks to new
gunpowder technology
ii. Constantinople then became Istanbul
Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean
d. Suleiman the Magnificent
i. Ruled during the
“golden age” of
Ottoman imperial power
ii. Conquered many
European cities
iii. Unable to conquer
Vienna due to the
weather
Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean
e. Between 1453 and 1502, the Ottomans fought
the opening rounds of a two-century war with
Venice in Italy
i. The Ottomans wanted power over of valuable
trade routes that the Italians controlled
ii. Venice forced to pay tribute to the Ottomans
but remained a sea empire
f. Tried to stop the spread of Portuguese trade in
the Middle East by limiting their influence to the
coastal cities
Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean
3. Central Institutions
a. Army consisted of lightly armored
mounted warriors skilled at shooting a
short bow
b. Christian prisoners of war were
forced to serve as military slaves
Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean
i. These troops
converted to Islam and
were called Janissaries
ii. This practice was not
necessarily legal
according to Islamic
law
iii. These soldiers had
no problems fighting
Turks and Muslims in
Western Asia
Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean
iv. Did not have the same horse/bow
background, fought on foot and with
guns
v. These Janissaries were barred from
marriage or holding other jobs
Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean
c. In the early 15th century, the selection process for
Janissary training changed and the new system was
called devshirme (selection)
i. This meant that children were taken from
Christian villages and placed in Turkish homes
to learn their language
ii. They were then sent to Istanbul to be trained
in Islam, warfare, etc.
iii. This system produced many military
commanders and heads of government
departments
Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean
d. The Ottoman Empire was the most
powerful and best-organized state in either
Europe or the Islamic world during the rule
of Suleiman the Magnificent
e. The Ottoman conception of the world
saw the sultan providing justice for his
“flock of sheep” (raya) and the military
protecting them
f. In return, the raya paid the taxes that
supported both the sultan and the military
Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean
D. Crisis of the Military State (1585-1650)
i. More emphasis placed on Janissary corps
and guns, less on the Turkish cavalry,
leading to the need to collect more money
to pay for these guns
ii. An influx of silver from the new world
further weakened the position of the landowning cavalry soldiers
Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean
iii. Between 1590 and 1610 there were
revolts by former land-holding cavalrymen,
short-term soldiers released and out of
work, peasants overburdened with
emergency taxes, and even impoverished
students of religion
iv. Janissaries took advantage of the
situation to gain the ability to participate in
business and marry
Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean
5. Economic Change and Growing Weakness (16501750)
a. After this time of crisis, the Ottoman Empire was very
different
i. The sultan mostly resided in his palace and had
little experience of the real world
ii. Janissaries corps membership was now hereditary
iii. Land grants in return for military service also
disappeared
b. Ottoman military continued to decline
i. Janissaries sometimes resorted to hiring
substitutes to go on campaign
Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean
c. The Ottoman Empire lacked both the wealth
and inclination to match European economic
advances
d. The Tulip Period lasted from 1718 to 1730 and
was so named because of the craze for high
priced tulip bulbs that swept Ottoman ruling
circles
i. The Ottomans did not see Europeans as a
threat to their power and actually borrowed
their furniture and clothing styles