The Ottoman Empire

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The Ottoman Empire

• The Ottoman Empire

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The Ottoman Empire was the one of the largest and
longest lasting empires in history. It was an
empire inspired and sustained by Islam.
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The Ottomans established an empire over European,
Asian, and African territories. With this, the
Ottomans took their faith, Islam, and established
Islamic traditions and culture that have lasted
to today.
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Overview

• Controlled what is now Turkey and parts of North
  Africa, Southwest Asia, and Southeast Europe
• Istanbul capital city (Originally
  Constantinople, but when taken by Sultan Mehmed
  renamed city Istanbul)
• Rulers were called sultans sultans had absolute
  power main purpose to ensure justice,
  especially for the helpless (also took title of
  Caliph- thus, ruler of Islamic world as well)
• Although an Islamic empire, Christians and Jews
  could pay a tax that would allow them to worship.
  

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What lead to the creation and expansion of the
Ottoman Empire?

• Muslim Ottomans were driven by a desire to
  convert new territory to Islam.
• Wanted to control trade routes

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What would be significant about the location of
Asia Minor?
Asia Minor
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Whoever controlled this area would control the
trade routes between Europe and Asia (west and
east) as well as Europe and Africa (north and
south).
Asia Minor
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Once Constantinople was taken, Ottomans
controlled the east/west and north/south trade
routes.
Asia Minor
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The empire continued to expand under various
sultans.
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Locate Mecca. Why is this city so important to
the Islamic Ottoman Empire? Why would access to
this city be so important to the Ottomans?
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One of the pillars of Islam is a pilgrimage to
Mecca. Thus, Ottomans wanted to maintain safe
access to Mecca.
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At its height, the Ottoman Empire included
Anatolia (Turkey), Southeastern Europe, the Arab
Middle East and North Africa
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Another important factor of the expansion of the
empire was the wisdom of Suleiman.
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Suleiman1520 - 1566

• Called
• The Magnificent (by Christians)
• The Lawgiver (by Muslims)

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Suleimans Wisdom

• Helped any Islamic country that was threatened by
  invading Europeans.
• Destabilization of Europe - he realized that if
  he could destabilize the Catholic Church and the
  Holy Roman Empire, he could keep Europe
  destabilized. Therefore, when Christianity split
  Europe into Catholics and Protestants, he
  financially supported the Protestants in order to
  keep Europe destabilized.
• Ruled with great wisdom and justice. Considered
  a second Solomon.

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Suleimans empire

• He reigned for 46 years
• Empire at peak under Suleiman
• Empire gained enormous wealth from control of
  the Mediterranean especially Egypt, which gave
  him the resources to build his empire
• Called himself Caliph which justified his
  annexation of other Islamic countries such as
  Iraq and Arabia
• Europe greatest threat to empire
• Built a fleet which dominated Mediterranean

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Suleiman the builder

• Great cultivator of arts Istanbul became center
  of visual arts, music, writing and philosophy
  Suleiman himself was a great poet and many of
  his poems are considered the best of Islamic
  poetry
• Wanted to make Istanbul a center of Islamic
  culture massive building projects with
  architect Sinan

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Suleimans Mosque
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Mosques of Sinan
considered some of the greatest in the world
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The Blue Mosque
Under Suleimans reign, the Ottoman Empire was
considered the richest and most powerful empire
in Southwest Asia.
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As the empire grew, so did the need for a larger,
stronger army whose loyalty was strictly to the
sultan.
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The Janissaries

• Sultans soldiers
• 1300s - Developed from a small force of slaves.
• By 1600 they were so powerful even Sultans feared
  them
• As Sultans grew weaker, Janissaries grew stronger

• However, they grew weak when they refused to
  learn modern ways of fighting.

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But alas, all good things must come to pass!
Even with the Ottoman Empire! After Suleiman,
the empire started a slow decline!
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Decline of empire

• Historians differ on opinions for decline of
  empire however, listed are a few of the most
  accepted reasons
• Growth of European trade routes Wealth of
  Ottomans was primarily due to trade. Center of
  their empire stood at the crossroads of Europe,
  Asia, Africa, and India. However, as Europe grew
  they created new trade routes, thus by-passing
  Ottoman territories. Because Ottomans collected
  taxes on goods passing along their trade routes,
  they began to lose a vast amount of income.

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• Ottomans did not industrialize like the rest of
  Europe. Thus, trade became unbalanced. Europe
  was buying only raw materials from Ottomans and
  shipping back finished goods which they had
  manufactured. Since these had been produced with
  new, industrial methods, they were much cheaper
  than what was produced in the empire.
  Eventually, the craftsmen were put out of
  business.

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More factors

• The empire was constantly fighting wars with
  expanding European colonialism.
• Ottomans feared and distrusted new ideas thus
  rejected anything new.
• By the 1800s the empire was near bankruptcy -
  couldnt compete with European trade.
• Lost much territory after many wars

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The end of the empire

• World War I
• Remaining Ottoman Empire sided with Central
  Powers (Germany) the losing side of WWI.

L to R. Kaiser Wilhelm II, Germany, Enver Pasha
Ottoman Empire (Turkey), Emperor Franz Joseph,
Austro Hungarian Empire (Austria/Hungary).
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During WWI, Ottoman empire consisted of territory
that is now - Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Saudi
Arabia, Yemen, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain,
United Arab Emirates. Some of these territories
had been controlled by the Ottomans for more than
1000 years!
In your notes, write the 1st letter of each of
the countries listed and then go back and see if
you can name them!
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However after World War I, the empire lost
control of the Arab lands. France and Britain
split up most of the Ottomans remaining
territories dividing the territories into various
nations and maintaining control of these new
nations.
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Most importantly New nations created with no
regard to religious, cultural, tribal, and ethnic
groups or historical divisions all of which
were very important to Middle Easterns
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For example, Lebanon was carved out of territory
traditionally ruled by Syria. This is why to
this day, Syria tries to control this area.
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Various rival ethnic groups were placed together
within the country of Iraq.
Shia Shiite
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Took land that was historically controlled by
Iraq and created new country of Kuwait.
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Lets look at the bigger picture
Other than historically controlling this area,
why else might Iraq want control of this land?
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Lets look at the bigger picture
Loss of coast line and a major access to the
Persian Gulf!
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England took control of Iraq and various gulf
states, such as Transjordan (today - Jordan). It
already had control of Egypt. France received
Lebanon and Syria. These moves reneged on the
promises of independence that had been made by
Britain earlier in the war.
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The end of the empire
1922 Turkey was declared a republic the
Ottoman Empire finally came to an end!