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Origins of the Turks Arrival of the Ottomans in Anatolia to the conquest of Constantinople 1200-1453
Zenith of Empire 1453 - 156 Decline of the Empire 1566 - 1780s Reforms of the Empire 1789- 1922 World War I and the end of the empire
Ottoman Military:Janissaries,Sipahis, Navy Ottoman Government The Harem Economy of the Ottoman Empire Timeline of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman music,art,culture ,architecture and Whirling Dervishes Movies Taking place in the Ottoman Empire Glossary Links Quiz
Ottoman Empire News
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Introduction
The Ottoman Empire ( Turkish Devlet-i Βliye-yi Osmβniyye
Arrival of the Ottomans in Anatolia to the conquest of Constantinople Early 1200s - 1453
Turkish peoples, originally from the Altai mountain regions of northern Mongolia began to migrate eastward in the 8th century into Central Asia and on to the Anatolian plains . The Seljuk Turks entered Anatolia after conquering Persia in the 11th century and reunited the fractured Islamic world. The Seljuks defeated the Byzantines at the battle of Manzikert in 1071 and took control of most of what is now Eastern and Central Turkey.
The Turks excelled in light cavalry tactics and fought with a composite bow
The Seljuk Sultanate of Konya (1078-1308) became the dominate force in Eastern Anatolia and set in motion many of the institutions such as Medresses (religious schools ) and mosques which led to the Islamification of Turkey. The minaret and mosque gradually replaced the Orthodox Christian Church in Anatolia and the Anatolian peninsula was transformed into a Turkish , Sunni Moslem state. The Persian holy man who left his homeland in front of the Mongol advance and settled in Konya, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, brought a new mystic style of Sufi Islam which was appealing to many Christians who found themselves in Turkish controlled areas. By 1350, the Moslem Turks were the dominant force in Anatolia and the influence of the Byzantine Empire in decline.
The Mongols invaded Anatolia in the 1260s and delt the Seljuks a major defeat at the battle of Kφse Dag in 1243 in northeast Turkey. The Mongols made the Seljuks a tributary state and as Seljuk power declined emirates arose in Anatolia . If not for the Mongol invasion, the Seljuks probably would have conquered Constantinople.
Ottoman held area in green, one of the first Ottoman capitals was at Bursa.
The smallest of these emirates was the emirate of Osman,which was the closest to the Byzantine Empire. From this small emirate would rise the last of the great near eastern empires, surving until the modern age 600 years later and covering three continents.. This was a time of turmoil in Anatolia as fear of the Mongols drove waves of Turks eastward, among them ghazi warriors (Turkomen Muslim holy warriors ) who the emirates employed to maintain control and expand at the expense of the weakened Byzantine Empire, the capital of which had been sacked by Crusaders in 1204. |
Recommended books on the Ottoman Empire
Lord Kinross,1979 classic history of the Ottoman Empire
Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire Caroline Finkel A more up to date survey of Ottoman history
How the breakup and division of the Ottoman Empire has led to turmoil in the Middle East to this day
The Sultan's Admiral: Barbarossa: Pirate and Empire Builder Ernle Bradford
Listen to The Fall of Constantinople from The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire for free at Librivox
The epic story of the forerunners of the Ottomans, the Oghuz Turks. A collection of 12 stories , the stories combine elements of pre-Islamic nomadic society with the later Islamic culture. From the racy and colloquial to the poetic and dignified, the stories bring to life a wild society and its unforgettable characters - the near-legendary Dede Korkut, soothsayer and bard, the chivalrous Beyrek, the unpredictable crazy Karchar, Goggle Eye the monster and Boghazja Fatima of the 40 lovers.
Lord of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire Jason Goodwin
Turbans denoted rank in the Ottoman Empire and were placed on Ottoman tombstones. This system was established by Mehmed II in his administrative reform after conquering Constantinople. The fez was made the national headgear of after the clothing reforms of Sultan Mahmud II (r.1808-39) |
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Arrival of the Turks in Anatolia The Seljuk Turks Rise of the Ottomans |
(?-1281) Chief (bey) of Kayi tribe of the Oghuz Seljuk Turks, which would become the Ottomans
father of Osman |
(1288-1326) Has dream of future empire
bey at 24 when father dies
founder of Ottoman Empire |
(1326-1359) son of Osman Bursa captured 1326 Battle of Pelekanon 1329 Byz defeated Nicaea taken 1331 Gallipoli occupied 1354 Janissaries formed as Sultan's bodyguard timar military fief system started
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(1359-1389) declared sultan by caliph in Cairo Divan established Janissaries develop into military unit Battle of Kosovo 1389, Murad killed, most of the Balkans conquered capital moved to Edine (Adrianople) in 1365 |
Bajazet I or Bayezid I (1389-1403) ' The Thunderbolt' 1394-1401 siege of Constantinople crusaders Hungary defeated at Battle of Nicopolis 1396 captured by Tamerlane at Battle of Ankara 1402, dies same year |
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The Osman emirate was able to expand through the traditional strength of Turkish calvary, learning military techniques from the Byzantines, artillery (bombards )and using Janissaries ( Yeniηeri new soldier ),light troops ( akindschi) to make the Ottomans one of the most advanced and disciplined fighting forces for their time. Orhan established the Timar military land tenure system to support the cavalry. Every 5th Christian boy had to be surrendered to fill the ranks of the janissaries. Infantry was a traditional weakness of the Turks, but with the janissaries and light troops they were a formidable force.
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Ottoman Interregnum
sons of Bajazet I swear allegiance to Timur
civil war between sons of Bajazet I
1402-1413
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(1413-1421) capital moved from Bursa to Adrianople
patron of the arts, has highly cultured court
builds Green Mosque at Bursa
entombed in the famous Green Mosque in Bursa
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(1421-1451) Byzantine emperor Palaiologos supports pretender to throne, who fails
Serbia taken by 1439
wins battle of Varna 1444 against crusaders and Hungarians who tried to liberate Constantinople
defeats son of Tamerlane
last sultan to be buried at Bursa
Three Balconied Mosque built |
Fatih 'The Conqueror
( 1432-1481) rules 1444-6 and 1451-81 1453 conquers Constantinople, ends Byzantine Empire Orthodox Church allowed to continue considered himself to ba a Ceasar and was related to Byzantine imperial family 1461 conquers Orthodox Empire of Trebizond Bosnia taken in 1460s Otranto in 1480 captured in attempt to reunite Roman Empire, dies before Rome could be taken Ottoman capital moved to Constantinople, renamed Instanbul Topkapi Palace built, primary residence in the city of the Ottoman Sultans, from 1465 to 1853 an officialdom loyal only to the Sultan created to administer empire - each dept had distintive turbans and clothing, old aristocracy weakened dies suddenly at 49, possibly of gout or poison, first Sultan to be buried in Istanbul |
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After the battle of Kosovo ('field of Blackbirds') in 1389, the Serbian kingdoms were reduced to vassal states, Ottoman control extended to the Danuabe, Bulgaria and Wallachia. One of the last crusades led by Emperor Sigismund of Germany fails to liberate Byzantium fails after defeat at the battle of Nicopolis in 1396. The taking of Byzantium was delayed until 1453 due to the incursions of Timur.
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An Ottoman bombard, the early Ottomans had some of the worlds most advanced artillery.
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Selim I adds Syria, Egypt and parts of Arabia to the Empire. Malmuk empire defeated in Egypt in 1517 with their advanced artillery. The Malmuks had defeated the Mongols and Crusaders and were rivals to the Ottomans for supreme religious leadership.The Ottoman sultans assume the title of Calipah. The Persians of the Safavid empire were defeated at the Battle of Chaldiran 1514 and the Ottomans Ottomans gained control over the north western part of Iran. The Persian Shi'ites would become the Sunni Ottomans bitter enemies.In 1522 the Kights of St.John capitulate on Rhodes .1526, battle of the Mohacs, Hungary losses independence. 1529, first Siege of Vienna, fails because of heavy rains, preventing arrival of artillery. .The defense of Europe from the Ottomans falls to Austria,Poland and the Venetians. France makes treates with the Ottomans. 1568 the Peace of Adrianople, Habsburgs make annual payment of tribute to the Ottomans. 1571, the battle of Lepanto breaks the dominance of the Turkish fleet. In 1683, the Ottoman reached the high water mark of the empire in Europe with the defeat at the Battle of Vienna. 1639, peace with Persia, border arrangements remain in effect till 1918.
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Jason Goodwin 2006 A crime novel,set in Istanbul in 1836. The first in a series featuring the eunuch detective Yashim
Ottoman coin 1876 with tugra (monogram) of sultan Abdul Hamid II
The Malmuks, a military caste of former slaves who overthrew the Ayyubid dynasty and ruled Egypt from 1250 and continued to rule for the Ottomans after the conquest of Selim I in 1517. The Malmuks were the first to defeat the Mongols in a major battle in 1260. Similar to the Janissaries, they were captured as children, mainly Kipchak Turks in the Caucasus and Georgia and underwent rigiours military training. Leading Malmuks were ambushed and killed by Muhammed Ali in 1811, ending their power.
The shadow theater ( karagoz ) evolved in the Ottoman Empire in the 1500s.One of the main characters in shadow theater is karagoz , a clever rouge, who with his sidekick Hacivat have many adventures.The shadow theater was one of the few places where one might hear criticism of the government |
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Decline of the Empire and Rival 1566 - 1780s
The Ottoman Empire was not able to match the industrial and military progress of the European States and reforms were never effective enough. There was no private land in the Ottoman empire, all belonged to the Sultan. This seriously stunted the Ottomans ability to keep up with the Europeans in terms of building up capital . Like the ancient Persians before them, the capital was horded and not invested .Before industrialization, this was a source of strength, but after industrialization, Ottoman industries could never achive the economies of scale produced in Europe.The high water mark of European advancement was in 1683 at the battle of Viennia. The Sultan no longer led armies in the field and the Ottomans stuck to their traditional form of warfare while the Europeans made great advances in handheld firearms, artillery on land and ships .The easy defeat of the Malmuks against Napoleon Battle of the Pyramids in 1798 seriously alarmed the Ottomans who began reforms of the military. However, unlike Meiji Japan they were not able to reform quickly enough.
. The Ottoman stranglehold on trade with the East caused Europeans to seek other routes to Asia, launching the Age of Discovery. The silver which poured in from the New World caused inflation and other economic troubles for the empire, which was based on a silver standard.. The empire was weakened by Sultans purging possible claimants to the throne isolating possible heirsin the Kafes (The Cage) to the throne making them mentally unstable. The power of the vizers and ladies of the harem grew after Suliman the Magnificent, as did the sale of officies and increased taxation. By the 19th century, the 'Sick man of Europe' as it was called by a Russian noble was being propped up by England and France as a bulwark against Russia, its European domains breaking free under nationalist movements and North African domains being taken over by England, France and Italy. The Ottoman Empire threw in its lot with the Central Powers in WWI and lost what empire remained. The Ottoman Empire survived for a little over 600 years despite constant warfare with Europeans and Persians and at its height held lands on three continents .
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( 1566-1574)
Selim the Sot or Selim the Drunkard son of Suleiman the Magnificent and Roxelana abandoned power to grand vizers,esp Sokollu Pasha, a Slav,to pursue his orgies and drinking 1568 treaty with Habsburgs to maintain status quo plans to combat growing Russian power by cutting a canal from the linking the Sea of Azoz and the Caspian Sea, so the Turkish fleet could enter the Caspian-forced to give up plan due 1570 treaty between Russia and Ottomans-Ott control Khanate of Crimea,Russians Astrakhan Cyrus taken 1571 in part for its wine, instead of aiding Moors in Spain 1571 battle of Lepanto major naval defeat for Ottomans in the Med Ottoman naval rebuilt at great cost 1572 Tunis retaken by Spain 1573 Tunis retaken by Ottomans Selim dies after slipping while drunk
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( 1574-1595)
son of Selim II 5 younger brothers strangled at start of reign, increased influence of harem, 1579 Grand Vizer Sokollu assassinated, no able administrator to replace him fathered over 100 children sale of offices, heavy taxation led to political and economic instability. power of the Janizaries increases 1587 Perians attacked in Georgia,Shirvan and Tabriz ceeded to Ottomans.
battle of Lepanto |
Mehmed III (15951603)
son of Murad III large number of brothers and sisters killed at start of reign,slaves impregnated by father sew up in sacks and thrown in the Bosporus. executed own son 1596-1605 war in Hungary with Habsburgs, despite victory at Mezo-Keresztes,Eastern Europe held Jelali revolts in Anatolia due to heavy taxation, and no pay, disgruntled sekhans (infantry) and sipahis (cavalry) and peasants last royal heir to serve as governor, future heirs isolated in the Seraglio in a building known as the Kafes, the Cage
Ahmed I (1603-1617) son of Mehmed III 1606 Treaty of Zsitvatorok, tribute paid by Hapsburgs abolished 1609 construcrion of Sultan Ahmed Mosque or Blue Mosque started dies of typhus at 27
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Kafes 'The Cage' was a part of the Palace of ( Apartments of the Crown Prince ) Topkapi and later other palaces where possible successors to the throne were kept in isolation until they would become sultan. Before the Cage it was common for sultans to execute other possible heirs to the throne to prevent civil war. Cofinement to the Cage led some to develop mental disorders. The Cage was started during the reign of Ahmed I.The last Ottoman sultan, Mehmet VI Vahidettin was 56 when he came to the throne and had been either in the harem or the Cage .
Turkish coffee, known as kahve, is made from finely ground coffee with a dash of cardamom.It is served in demitasse cups. Coffee was banned at sme points for being un-Islamic as were coffeehouse as being meeting places for sedition. |
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Mustafa I (1617 - 1618 1622-3)
brother of Ahmed I, not executed due to possible mentally retardation, his mother, Sultana Valide, ruled through him keep in the Cage for 14 years before becoming Sultan, claimed to have 'visions.' deposed in 1618 for Osman II (1618-22, son of Ahmed ) who was assassinated by Janissaries who feared his plan raise a new ethnic Turkish army to counter their growning power. Mustafsa was returned to the throne again, returned to the Cage again when Murad IV came to power. regional governor rises in revolt, Murad placed on throne |
( 1623-1640)
son of Ahmed I, begins reign at 14 his mother, ruled till he came of age, growing corruption, Persian advances,revolt in Anatolia till he came of age at 24 1631 Janissaries storm palace and kill grand vizer Murad began to fear he would share the fate of Osman II, restored the authority of the state through brutal methods, with 20,000 executed in 5 years 1638 Baghdad taken, last sultan to command an army in the field - kills huge Persian in single combat at siege of Baghdad as both armies watch dies in 1640 at age of 28, orders execution of one surving brother, Ibrahim, who was mentally ill, order not carried out . |
(1640-1648)
Ibrahim the Mad son of Ahmed I raised in the Cage obsessed with obese woman, had agents search for them 20 year wae fought with Venice over Crete deposed and executed to prevent sipahis from rallying to his cause |
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Rise of power of the Grand Vizers
Grand Vizer Kara Mustafa |
Sword and Shield dance of Bursa celebrating the conquest of Bursa. |
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Mehmed IV (1648-87) son of IbrahimI most power signed over to grand vizer Mehmed Kφprόlό. 1657 rebellion by sipahai troops put down 1657 naval victory against Venice in the battle of the Dardanelles,Venetian blockade of Straights ended 1660 huge fire in Instanbul 1683 Battle of Vienna after 2 year siege, end of Ottoman advance in Europe deposed in 1687
Suleiman II (1642-91) younger brother of Mehmed IV spent most of his life in the Kafes (Cage) empire administer by Grand Vizer Ahmed Faizil Kφprόlό |
Ahmed II (1691-5) son of Ibrahim I Mustafa Kφprόlό grand vizer 1691 Ottoman loss at Battle of Slankamen drives them from Hungary deposed and replaced by brother Ahmed
Mustafa II (1695-1703) son of Mehmed IV tried to regain sultan's powers, attempt fails and abdicated
Ahmed III (1703-30) Tulip Era trends toward westernization and reform refuge given to Charles XII of Sweden during Sweden's war with Russia, war declared on Russia, Azov returned to Ottomans 1718 Treaty of Passarowitz, part of Balkans lost to Habsburgs 1727 printing presses allowed, printing continues till 1745, resumed 1787 growth in European trade, economic growth became unpopular due and forced to abdicate |
Mahmud I 'the Huntchback' (1730-54) son of Mustafa II raised in the Kafe (cage) 1739 Treaty of Belgrade concludes 2 year Austro-Turkish War-Habsburgs ceded Northern Serbia with Belgrade to the Ottomans 1739 Treaty of Nissa ends Russo-Turkish War Russia gives up claims to Crimea and Moldavia, but allowed to build a port at Azov but not to build fortifications there or have any fleet in the Black Sea
Osman III (1754-1757) younger brother of Mahmud I raised in the Kafe
Mustafa III (1757-74) son of Ahmed III sought to modernize the army Crimea annexed by Russia
Abdul Hamid I 'The Saint' (1774-89) son of Ahmed III lived in Kafe till he was 43 1774, major defeats by Russians lead to the treaty of Kuchuk-Kainarji, Tartars granted independence, Russians keep Kertch and Azov and access to Black Sea. Russian granted right to protect christian subjects in Ottoman Emp |
Tales of the 13th cent holy man, Nasreddin Hoja were popular in Ottoman Turkey. In one tale, he is invited to a feast, which he goes to in ordinary clothes and and is treated rudely by the guests and servants. He went home and returned in fine clothes and was treated with respect. He then pours soup on his fine coat, saying 'Eat,coat,eat!You were the one really invited here!'
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Reforms and the end of the Empire 1789- 1922
Muhammad Ali breaks from the Ottoman Empire in the 1830s. He goes into debt to England building the Suez canal and Egypt becomes an English protectorate. Algeria and Tunisia are lost to France in the late 19th century.
maps from wikipedia
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The mahmil symbol of the Sultan on the holy pilgrimage to Mecca.
The equestrian team sport of Ηavgan was popular in the Ottoman Empire.Riders use blunt javelins to throw at each other,each hit earning one point. |
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