The Rise and Decline of the Ottoman Empire

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The Ottoman Empire was an empire known for many developments. Founded in July of 1299, the empire lasted until 1923, over six hundred years (“Ottoman Empire”). Throughout these six hundred years of history, came the developments of: one of the first known examples of a watch, used to measure time in minutes, created by Meshur Sheyh Ded in 1702; the telegraph which was personally tested by Sultan Abdulmecid in 1847; and the production of pottery, silk and rugs, jewelry, arms and armor, and the well-known mosque made of the greatest contribution from the Ottoman Empire to the world of art (“Ottoman Empire”). One of the most distintive aspects of the empire was it’s state organization, religious traditions, and how the two affected each other from the development until the decline of the empire. The government of the Ottoman Empire was an absolute monarchy for a majority of the empire’s time period. During the last fifty years, change in government occurred frequently, due to the decline and lack of good leadership. The state was organized into two parts; military and civil administration, where the sultan, otherwise known as the caliphate held the highest position in the state. Though the sultan had complete and absolute control over the empire, most did not exercise complete control, usually leaving the work to the grand vizier who would lead and move forward with reforms and laws as the sultan asked (“Ottoman Empire”). Many of the sultans were men lacked ability, training or experience in leading an empire (Chambers). Though while some of the leaders were incompetent and maybe even slightly “defective”, there were many great leaders of the Ottoman Empire, such as Suleyman who was known as “The Magnificent” and brought the empi... ... middle of paper ... ...lacement of the Empire, being between the Eastern and Western worlds, made it the center of interactions and created trade and a flourishing economy for the state (“Ottoman Empire”). The establishment of the military was compared to the Roman Empire in similar views due to it’s success, size and power. The emipre’s military was one of the first to use muskets and cannons, and maintained an elite guard, known as the janissaries, until the start of decline in the mid-nineteenth century (“Ottoman Century”). Works Cited "Ottoman Empire." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. Chambers, Richard L. "History of the Ottoman Empire - Decline and Fall." Turkey Travel Guide. The University of Chicago, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. Spielvogel, Jackson J. "The Muslim Empires: The Ottoman Empire.” Glencoe World History. New York, NY: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2005. p.484-489. Print.

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