1450 - 1750

Common Characteristics

• Religion (of the rulers at least…)

• All three Islamic empires were military creations
• Governing
• Autocratic: emperors imposed their will on the state
• Ongoing problems with royal succession
• Ottoman rulers legally killed brothers after taking
the throne
• Influence of Royal and Upper-Class Women
• Harem
• Harem politics: women often influenced policies,
selections
Political
OTTOMAN EMPIRE
 RISE OF OTTOMAN EMPIRE
• Founded in 1289 by Osman, who
commanded a large group of Muslim
warriors
• Later Expand into outer regions of
Byzantine Empire
• Successful b/c of gunpowder in early
sieges
• Use of Janissary Corps
• 14th-15th centuries: Expand into South
Eastern Europe
• 1453: Conquer Constantinople
• Under the leadership of Mehmed
II (r. 1451-1481)
• Absolute monarchy; centralized state
• Maintained strong navy in Mediterranean
region to protect trade routes they
controlled there.

• Remained a significant sea power until the

1700s.
SULEYMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
• Empire at its height under Suleyman
• Reigned 1520-1566
• Came to power through murder of
brothers
• Conquered lands in Europe, Asia, Africa
• Syria, modern-day Israel, Egypt
• Hungary, Croatia, Rumania
• Siege of Vienna (Austria) in 1529 failed
• Built powerful navy to rule
Mediterranean
• Encouraged development of arts
• Beautified Constantinople with mosques
• Empire began a slow decline after
Suleyman
Society
Ottoman Law

• Ottomans (Muslims) ruled diverse people: Arabs,

Greeks, Slavs, Armenians, Jews, etc.
• Millets = separate communities of non-Muslims -->
each millet controlled its own affairs
• Population divided into different classes
• 1st class = ruling class made up of sultan, his
family & high government officials
• 2nd class = nobility
• 3rd class (largest) = peasants
 • Millet System: Different communities
The ottoman based on religion throughout the
empire
MILLET
system • Each millet was headed by its own
religious dignitary
• Advised sultan on affairs in the
community
• Was punished by sultan for
problems of the community

• In the millet system each community

was responsible for
• Taxes
• Education
• Legal Matters: Marriage,
Divorce, Inheritance
1750 - 1800
The Contraction of the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman
Empire: “Sick Man
of Europe”
• In the 1800s= the Ottoman Empire went
from being a great power in the world to
one of the weakest territories
• Could no longer keep up with Western
Europe
• Unable to prevent region after region
from falling under European control
Causes of Territorial Losses
• Cause #1 = European aggression
• Invasions from Russia, Britain, France,
and Austria
• Example: one of the earliest invasions =
in 1798 = Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt
• Cause #2 = Nationalism and independence
movements by different groups within the
Ottoman Empire
• Independence achieved by: Greece,
Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania (with
help of European militaries)
• Driven by nationalism
Napoleon’s Invasion of Egypt
Serbian
Independence

• 1804-1817
• First Balkan people to revolt
• Support from Russia – same heritage and
Eastern Orthodox Christianity
• Serbian culture flourishes even though
the rest of Europe will not recognize them
as a country until 1878
• Remains close with Russia
Greek Independence

• 1821
• Greeks finally unite against the Ottomans
• Glorified by English poet Lord Byron
• Gains the support of Britain, France, and
Russia.
• A German prince was named king.
 More Problems for the Ottoman Empire
• Weak central government
• Increasing power of local authorities and
rulers
• Unable to effectively raise revenue (taxes)
• Growing technological and military gap
with Europe
• Decreasing power of the Janissaries (elite
infantry units of the Ottoman Empire)
Economic Problems for the Ottoman Empire
• The economy of the Ottoman Empire
weakened for several reasons:
• Europeans achieved direct sea access to Asia
= no longer a need for them to go through the
Ottoman and Arab land routes to get there =
loss of revenue for those groups
• Ottoman artisans and workers hit hard by
competition from cheap European
manufactured goods

An Ottoman Merchant in Istanbul

(with no customers) 