The ruling elite of the Ottoman Empire were unique, because they were a foreign influence, which shaped the way they were perceived and how they displayed their identity. This was because; they were Devirshirme, recruits of the child levy system. They served in either the palace service or the Janissary military system. Their status as the ruling elite was bittersweet, filled with pros and cons. The Janissaries formed a powerful interest group, which allowed them to project their power to the Sultan as well as the people.
The Devirshirme were recruited through the child levy system to serve as statesmen and soldiers. They were recruited primarily from the Balkans, but also from other Christian European territories within the Ottoman Empire. This made them a foreign influence in the Islamic government. Therefore, they were forced to convert and Islam. Those that showed intellectual promise were educated in the Palace schools and entered palace service. Those that showed more athletic ability were trained to be janissaries and entered military service. Their pay was regulated by the S...
The Ottoman Empire was one of the longest running empires in history, spanning 624 years. The women of the Ottoman empire were often limited to the household of their husband’s and held back by Ottoman lawmakers and authorities. The point of view of outsiders was varied, but there were both positive and negative views.
She explains the progression from standard politics to biopolitics in the Ottoman empire. As a rights based state, and seeing as it copied a portion of its regulations, those from the constitution, from napoleonic, french law. But with the tanzimat period, the era in which reforms were being made to all areas of politics in the Ottoman Empire, the state began to further incorporate gendered criminal codes. In 1926, the Ottoman Empire's successor, Turkey, started to take ideas from the Italians. This new development only increased the strength of the chokehold the state held
Islam has been a dominant force throughout Turkish history. During the Ottoman Empire, Islam ruled every part of the theocratic state, but after the demise of the empire, Turkey's rulers led the country away from political Islam. The modern Turkish state has a strictly secular government, and Islam has been relegated to the personal sphere. Although Turkey has experienced a rise in fundamentalism in the past twenty years, the separation of church and state has remained relatively intact. Even with this increase of fundamentalist Islam, the wide majority of Muslims in Turkey are moderate and tolerant. They have adapted to modern life and value Islam for its moral and spiritual messages. Islam is a guide for right living and ethical conduct rather than a political system. Turkey constantly struggles to balance Islamic life with a secular government. Although the government wants to maintain a strict separation between religion and politics, it cannot ignore the power and influence that Islam has in the lives of the Turkish people.
1. The three main factors that resulted in the Ottoman expansion of the 14th century were rooted in geopolitics, military technology a nd strategy, and political strategy. The Ottoman capital and center of economics (post-1453) was located at Istanbul, which was not only the geographical “gateway” to Europe, but also connected Asia and Europe, which made Istanbul an extremely important area for commerce and merchants travelling from one continent to the other. Even after the Ottoman takeover of the Byzantines, they were able to expand even more partly due to the capitol and funds gained through commerce in Istanbul. The Ottomans also created an army that was aided by new technologies such as firearms as well as horses, which helped them expand exponentially through the Middle East. The balance within their military, with the Calvary coupled with armed Janissaries, furthered their military might. Lastly, the political strategy of Osman and his heirs helped to further Ottoman goals including expansion.
From the 18th century through the beginning of the 19th century, European influence was a significant force in various aspects of the Ottoman Empire, Egypt, and Iran. Although the reforms, coined primarily by Gelvin as “defensive developmentalism,” were initially intended to centralize governmental control and strengthen the military, the actual effects were much broader. Based on varying pre-existing conditions and unique approaches to governorship, this process of modernization affected each region differently. This essay will explore the manners in which European influence shaped each territory, the primary areas of civilization, politics and culture that experienced reform, and the degree to which that influence was significant, or in the case of Iran, insignificant.
The emergence of gunpowder and the ability to create increasingly more accurate firearms in the Middle East and Europe in the fifteenth century sparked the growth of two highly militant empires. The Habsburgs, hailing mostly from the Iberian Peninsula, fully began to rise when Charles V inherited Spain, American territories, western Mediterranean territories, and Austria from his parents. The Ottoman Empire had its humble beginnings as a nomadic group; however, it later became a force to be reckoned with upon the capture of Constantinople (now Istanbul). Since these two emerging empires were in close proximity, military dominance was a necessity. The Ottomans were rightfully feared for their military due to their strict training regulations
Sultan Mahmud II, and various other Europeanized Ottoman bureaucrats initiated what is known today as the largest reform movement in the history of the Ottoman Empire. The Tanzimat changed life in the Ottoman Empire drastically, and completely revolutionized how the Ottomans lived. Previously, the empire was home to various different, nationalities, races, religions and cultures. During the Tanzimat, a major effort was made to unite these people, which is often referred to as the policy of Ottomanism. This resulted in the creation of a national anthem, and the establishment of a national flag. In the past, Islamic law was predominant, but was replaced by secular law, so no individual groups were left out. The Tanzimat’s main focus was to replace it’s old, outdated ways, with more of a westernized approach. The reforms varied greatly, but for the most part, they were all made to help modernize the empire.
There is a point of time in certain a country’s history where they become dominant and more powerful than ever before. During this elongated process a country becomes an empire. The British and the Ottomans were states that succeeded in this process, but becoming an empire such as theirs required vast amounts of political and social maneuvering to expand their boundaries, called imperialism. Imperialism is, “a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force”. By becoming a modern nation enjoying economic prosperity and political stability, the British and the Ottomans created an imperialistic impact over the globe with distinctive motivations and approaches especially during the transition period of gaining ample amount power and influence globally.
All civilizations come to an end. However, throughout history a few have stood out. Civilizations that withstood the test of time. Revolutionary societies that changed the whole world. Some of these changes are still around today, and that is a testament if nothing else. With all great societies, however will come weaknesses. No civilization has lasted forever. It may take one thousand years, or even longer, but if a society cannot admit its weaknesses and fix them, it will crumble. Such is the story with the Ottoman Empire. Their Empire began in the year 1300 and would last all the way to the first World War. The Ottomans were no exception to the rule though. Their society, for all its might and intellect, could not see their way was also
Today, there are virtually no multinational states remaining and one would be hard-pressed to find a government that has remained in place since the pre-World War I era. In that sense, it is highly unlikely that the Ottoman Empire could have survived the tumultuous 20th Century. Nevertheless, it may have had a chance. If not for European intervention, Ottoman reforms may have succeeded. However, even with those reforms, they had to compete with the rise of nationalism, which would have been difficult.
The Young Turks, a group of young military officers who wanted to keep their country’s decline from continuing, wanted to improve general conditions for certain peoples in the Ottoman empire. Not only was anyone who was not Muslim treated as second class citizens, they were also required by law to pay more for their taxes than a muslim civilian. Realizing this, in the 1890s and early 1900s, an organization called The Young Turks arose, pressing for political reform calling for the right to vote, a constitutional government and and an end to discriminatory practices such as the aforementioned raised taxes. Eventually, The Young Turks staged a coup successfully in an attempt to change the rule to a constitutional monarchy . This, however, had some unforeseen consequences.
The men of the pen was highly educated of scientist, lawyers, judges, and doctors. The men of sword were military personnels. The men of negotiation were merchants, artisans, and tax collectors. The men of husbandry were farmers and herders and some people was based on the skills they knew. Inadequate administration, disruption/invasion in the government, is when farmers had a hard time when it came to their cattle. The “New Order” reactionary movements, had become anarchic and ineffectual and they then was jealous of their privileges and opposed to change they created a Janissary revolt which led to the death of Selim. Massacred Janissary corps and marked the first breakaway, forced to recognize Greece with the treaty of Constantinople. The beginning of the 17th century the Ottoman Empire began to change itself according to the western culture. The empire took some innovations from the west. Also, by the contribution of foreign engineers the Empire repaired its old arm systems. The Newly-found school’s, permanent ambassadors, and privy councils were essential improvement for the Empire. All of these reformations had a good impact at the period of
The Ottoman Empire reached the peak of its power in the 1500s. While other empires were experiencing their downfalls, the Ottoman Empire’s power seemed to be increasing. In fact, this empire can be ranked as the strongest power due to its tactical internal organization of power, minorities, and religion, due to its physical expansion which provided more resources, more advancements, and more people to support the empire, and due to its large military strength that provided security, reduced rebellion, and challenged the other powers.
Prior to my research, there were two interesting articles that have struck my attention regarding the states and issues that are being discussed in this essay. The first article is A Survey of the Turkish Empire by Sir William Eton. In the article, Eton discusses his admiration of the glorious army that had once belonged to the Ottoman Empire. He describes the Turkish army as “formidable”, and organized. Eton tune quickly changes by criticizing their faults and ultimately what led to their demise. Eton states that “it is a mob assembled rather than an army levied.” This article had great impact because while researching the topic, I was able to better understand the role of the military in the Ottoman Empire.
Much like that of the Byzantines before them, the Ottoman Empire served as a link between Europe and Asia, and greatly benefited from the profits of the exchange that was perennially flowing over these geographic boundaries; this era came to be known as the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire. Although there can be many identifications and definitions for the means by which the Ottoman Empire was able to exert such a powerful degree of influence, military right, and cultural dynamism. It will be the purpose of this analysis to discuss and analyze the means by which a continual process of centralization can ultimately be understood as one defining force, that allowed the Ottoman Empire to thrive throughout this period of the “Golden Age.”