The Ottoman Empire

From Osman to the Young Turks

Spath – 351 CPMEhttp://euroheritage.net/serbscroatsbosnians.shtml

ReadingsM.E. & Islamic World Reader –

• Origins of Islam (excerpts from Qu’ran)• The Caliphate (and schism)• Various early dynasties (esp. Umayyad & Abbasid)• The Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires (gunpowder empires)

In Cleveland – Tanzimat period of the Ottoman Empire (1839-1876).

Today:Ottoman Empire (end of 13th c. – 1922)

We will cover up to the turn of the 20th century

Big Questions:- What happened? How did the empire change?- Why was the Ottoman Empire so dominant?- Why did it decline?- Why is this important to contemporary ME politics?

Where are We Going?- Monday: Colonialism- Tuesday: WWI, Inter-War Years

The Gunpowder Empires

Ottomans, Safavids, Mughals became dominant after Mongol Empire. Why?- Mongol Legacy

-Agrarianism

- Trade Revenue

- Gunpowder

- Governing Strategies

The Ottomans:- Started with Osman and his son Orhan- Gazi Tradition- Pragmatic Considerations

Ottoman Rule- Gaza (Gazis) tradition of religious expansion

- Urbanization of imperial cities

- Toleration of local customs- Millet System- Dhimmi

- Dynastic Succession & fratricide

- Devshirme Levy

- Four-level ruling elite

The Ottoman Empire

Expansion under Mehmed II• Ruled the Ottoman Empire

from 1451 to 1481• In 1453, he toppled the

Byzantine Empire, capturing Constantinople, renaming it Istanbul, and making it the new Ottoman capital

• Expanded the empire to become the ruler of “two lands” (Europe and Asia) and “two seas” (the Mediterranean and the Black) Scene from the battle

defending Constantinople from a 1499 painting

Selim I – Selim the Grim

• The Sunni Ottomans under Selim the Grim (reigned 1512-1520) detested the Shiite Safavids and launched a full-scale invasion of Safavid territory

Battle of Chaldiran• The critical battle in this

campaign was the battle of Chaldiran in 1514

• The Ottomans won and temporarily occupied the Safavid capital of Tabriz but could not completely destroy the Safavid state

• The Ottomans and Safavids continued to fight intermittingly for the next two centuries

Suleyman the Magnificent

• Reigned from 1520 to 1566 and continued the expansion

• Conquered Baghdad in 1534

• Siege on Vienna (Hapsburgs)

• Moved across N. Africa

18th Century:Decline- External Forces

- Economy- Military- Loans

- Decentralization- Janissaries- Bureaucracy- Ulema- Governors &

Notables

19th Century: Towards Consolidation and Re-centralization

- Selim III

- MuhammadAli

- Mahmud II

Selim III and his “New Order”

• Attempt at recentralization• Devsirme system replaced by Nizam-I Jadid• Diplomatic Engagement with Europe• Assassination from supporters of Status Quo

Mahmud II• Reigned from 1808 to 1839 and

launched a reform program designed to restore the traditional Ottoman military

• The elite and powerful Janissaries opposed the reforms, but Mahmud massacred them

• He remodeled his institutions, especially his military, along European lines– European-style uniforms– European tactics and weaponry– European education Janissaries

Muhammad Ali

Discussion: Tanzimat and Its Effects• Integration into empire of people on outskirts of the empire

• disincentive rising up with nationalist sentiment against empire• Nationality Law – allowed for common citizenship regardless of religion

• LEGAL REFORMS• increased autonomy of the millets• civil and political rights• individual court systems• public trials, legal representation, rights of privacy, equal protection

• Europeanization of the military• the military academies taught in french

• standardized under the state, open to all, increased secular education

•Effects• Reforms were incredibly costly they borrowed

• Major economic problems and loan default• Nationalism, some of the Muslim population, ulema• split among officials in the Ottoman ruling class (religious and secular)• produced fissure between nobility and masses (peasants)• smaller consolidated territory and governance