THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
1300-1700
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BYZANTIUM RENAMED

Byzantium  Greek city-state renamed
Constantinople, 330 A.D. –location
amazing for trade!

Became capital city of Byzantine Empire

Trade continued, cultural diffusion HUGE
CRUSADERS & TURKS FIGHT

Crusades fought in
Byzantine & invasions
by Turks & Mongols
common by 13th Century

Turkish people loyal to their tribes & clans,
but not to a central government
◦ Wanted to take down Crusaders & break up
Empire to take over
GHAZIS

Many Anatolian Turks saw themselves as
GHAZIS – warriors for Islam (like
Crusaders)
Followed strict code of conduct
 Raided territories
 Muslim (believed in Islam)

OSMAN & OTTOMANS

OSMAN  most successful ghazi & a
Muslim

His followers  OTTOMANS

Builds unified empire by conquering &
controlling lands in Anatolia (Turkey)

Uses gunpowder

Among 1st to use cannons & muskets
OTTOMAN CANNON
OTTOMAN CANNON
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF OSMAN

Takes over Byzantium area & establishes
OTTOMAN EMPIRE, 1299

Kind ruler to those he conquered 
Allowed local rulers to remain in place

Improved lives of peasants

Protected religious preferences

Taxed people fairly (even non-Muslims)

Rulers called SULTANS – “one with
power”
RISE OF TIMUR THE LAME
(TAMERLANE)

TIMUR THE LAME:
warrior from Asia

Conquered Russia, Persia,
northern India, & burned
Baghdad to ground

Butchered people in New
Delhi & made pyramid of
skulls

Halted expansion of
Ottoman Empire until
1405
TIMUR THE LAME’S EMPIRE
TIMUR THE LAME VIDEO
MEHMET II

Timur’s son, MEHMET II
new sultan

1451 - builds fleet & massive army to
attack Constantinople (wanted control of
Bosporus Strait for trade & prosperity)

1453 – captured Constantinople &
renamed it ISTANBUL new capital of
their empire

“Give me Constantinople!”
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF
MEHMET II

Mehmet now called MEHMET THE
CONQUEROR

HAGIA SOPHIA (famous church) became a
mosque

Islam religion became unifying force

BUT religious toleration encouraged & diverse
population inhabited the city
HAGIA SOPHIA
CONQUERING CONSTANTINOPLE
VIDEO
SELIM THE GRIM

Overthrew father & murdered brothers

Killed all nephews & own kids, but 1 son

Crazy guy, but effective!

Defeated Safavids of Persia & conquered
Mecca, Medina, & Cairo (holy cities &
intellectual cities)
◦ Happened at same time Cortez takes over
Aztecs
SULEIMAN I

1520-1566 – Suleiman (“the lawgiver”) –
built strong empire militarily, economically,
& socially – GOLDEN AGE

Gained more land in eastern Mediterranean,
northern African ports, trade routes inside
Africa, & central Europe

Efficient government structure
w/social organization
(held for 600 years!)
SULEIMAN’S EMPIRE

20,000 personal slaves

30,000 JANISSARIES: force of people
from conquered Christian territories

DEVSHIRME policy: training boys as
soldiers
SULEIMAN’S ACHIEVEMENTS

Freedom of worship

Binding the Ottoman Empire together

Simplified taxation system

Reduced government interference (bureacracy)

“Renaissance Man”

Art & Literature flourished
SULEIMAN VIDEO
SELIM II

Suleiman killed best son &
drove away another  3rd
incompetent son, SELIM II
inherited throne

Ran corrupt government & it continued in
family through generations

Defeated militarily in 1571 by Spain & Italy
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE
OTTOMAN EMPIRE?

Became customary to kill off good sons &
cut off rest from education  produced
long line of weak rulers & ruined empire

Empire crumbled
slowly & finally
dissolved with
creation of Turkey
after World War I