THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE 1 ESSENTIAL QUESTION Why were the Ottoman Sultans able to rule as all-powerful rulers? 2 INTRODUCTION The 1st Ottoman were nomadic Turkish warriors for Islam, from Central Asia Fled from Central Asia to escape the Mongols Attacked the Byzantines  Failed to capture Constantinople (Capital)  Captured Adrianopolis (2nd most important city) 1396 – 1st Sultan (ruler) appointed 3 ELITE OTTOMAN ARMY Known as Janissaries Made up of young war captives & Christian slaves Were converted to Islam, then trained as soldiers Belonged to the Sultan, & served for life Gained power & influence, eventually became important political group 4 TIMUR CHALLENGES THE OTTOMANS Timur – Turko-Mongol leader Born in 1336, claimed he was a descendant of Genghis Khan Created an army, built power in Central Asia, & began a career of conquest 1402 – Defeats Ottoman Army in Battle of Ankara Captures Sultan, forced Ottomans to return territory they took from others 5 RECOVERY & EXPANSION Civil war broke out over who should be next Sultan Murad II took power & began to expand empire Defeated last European crusaders in Battle of Varna Followed by Mehmed II Conquered Constantinople (Byzantine Capital) in 1453 Renamed city Istanbul – Became Ottoman capital 6 SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT Greatest Ottoman Sultan Ruled from 1520 – 1566 Led Ottoman Empire to Golden Age Reunited Muslim world (except Persia & Afghanistan) by conquering North Africa 7 OTTOMAN EMPIRE 8 GOVERNMENT & SOCIETY Sultan Governed from Istanbul as all-powerful ruler Empire was well-organized & efficiently governed Assisted by Janissaries 2nd in Command – Grand Viziers 9 GOVERNMENT & SOCIETY Society – 2 major groups Small ruling class Reaya – Larger group of ordinary people There was social mobility 10 GOVERNMENT & SOCIETY Millet System  Reaya made up of different groups of people  Muslim Turks, Christians, Jews, & Arabs  Strong religious tension  Religious freedom was allowed by Sultans  Millet – Separate religious communities of Reaya  Under control of Sultan, but governed themselves  Each has its own laws, customs, courts, taxes, education, health system, & defense 11 THE SLOW DECLINE 1566 – Suleiman the Magnificent dies Marked beginning of the decline 1571 – Phillip II leads Spanish navy to defeat Ottomans Battle of Lepanto – Europeans defeat Ottomans near Greece 12 THE SLOW DECLINE 1600 – Government & Economy face problems  Lost control of silk & spice trade  New trade routes bypassed Ottoman Empire  Power of Sultans weakened  Government became corrupt due to internal power struggles  Rebellions among the Janissaries Lost territory to Russia & France 1923 – Empire ends when Turkey establishes a republic 13