The Ottoman Empire
Agenda
1. Bell Ringer: What is the impact of the English Bill
of Rights on Absolutist Rule?
2. Brief Lecture: Ottoman Empire
3. Safavid Empire (maybe)
4. Suleiman the Magnificent Primary analysis
5. Life as a King, how would you run things?
1. Discussion
HW: Reading Quiz on Thursday/Friday. Read
Chapter 14
Turks settle down (Othman)
• Anatolian Turks similar to
crusaders.
• Built a State in Anatolia
between 1300-1326.
• Used cannons and
gunpowder to take cities.
• Conquered people were
treated well, but were
required to pay taxes.
• Jannisaries- recruited from
the traditional Christian
population, converted to
Islam and used as soldiers.
Timur the Lame
• Early 1400, Rebel from
Samarkand.
• Claimed to be descendant
of Genghis Kahn.
• Conquered Russia and
Persia.
• Pillaged Baghdad
• Massacred population in
Delhi.
• He takes the Sultan, and
violence breaks out
among the brothers.
Expansion of the Empire
• Mehmet I defeats his
brothers and takes the
throne.
• Expansion continues
through 1566.
• Mehmet II takes
Constantinople with
100,000 soldiers. (1453)
– Pillaged the city for 3 days,
ransacking the Hagia Sophia.
– Inhabitants were made
slaves.
• Hagia Sophia turned into a
Mosque.
Suleiman and the Height of the Empire
• Controlled major trade
routes on Eastern Med
and throughout
Continent.
• Complex Military State
– 20,000 slaves
• Janissaries, took young
boys and trained them in
Islamic tradition, making
them soldiers.
• Allowed Freedom of
Religion.
Cultural Achievements and Decline
• Taxation simplified.
• Mosque of Suleiman
– Contained a hospital, library, and
college.
– Harems
– Sacred place, Sultan stays with
several concubines, occasionally a
Sultan would marry.
– Decline
– Killed his ablest son, incompetent
one took power in 1571.
– Everyone scared of losing power,
so they kill anyone they feel can
take it.
• Lack of modernization leads to
end in 1924.
Safavid’s
• Aligned themselves with
Shi’a Islam.
• Since they were attacked by
the Ottomans, they built a
large military.
• Isma’il became a religious
tyrant
– Killed anyone of the
Sunni sect.
• Similar to the Ottomans,
including its decline.
Government?
• Back when we studied
Machiavelli I had the
class create laws that
correlated with the
document. Now I’m
going to have you look
at an empire.
• You’ve just adopted a
failing Empire. What will
you do to reverse
decisions made by prior
rulers?
– Reestablish Law and
Order
– Create a governmental
structure
– Fix Economic woes (go
ahead, ally with other
students)