How Did The Ottoman Empire Fail

The Ottoman empire once a strong, thriving empire watched its empire fall apart right in front of its very eyes. Why couldn't they stop their certain decline from power one might ask? The answer was uncovered by Qasim Amin, “The first middle eastern feminist”. Qasim was a strong believer in women rights. He believed that women's liberation was a good vehicle for improving the Ottomans society. He believed that women were actually the backbone of society. A big reason the Ottomans were failing to thrive in the 19th century. The Ottoman empire had a few problems in their society that hard contributed to their downfall as well. The Ottomans were struggling to keep up with European societies that are vastly more superior to the Ottomans. The

Unfortunately they could not keep up with the attacks they were trying to fend off as well as being in debt. But there is a much larger one that Qasim discovered, women, and their major role that they play in society that the Ottomans failed to realize. Women were highly uneducated and therefore only doing minimum tasks to contribute to the society. Qasim believed that if women had more rights to education and to working opportunities they could produce much more for the society. “Our present situation resembles that of a very wealthy man who locks up his gold in a chest. This man unlocks his chest daily for the mere pleasure of seeing his treasure. If he knew better, he could invest his gold and double his wealth in a short period of time.” (13-18). Notice that in this comparison he says that the man can double his investment by “freeing” a woman from oppression. It is the man who is to gain here, there is nothing mentioned of the fact that the woman would gain as well. A man who oppresses a woman is selling himself short because he could be getting more out of it. This is exactly the point Qasim is trying to make that would turn around the Ottoman empire. His ideals of

A role the Ottomans missed and with the combined factors of debt, war, and failing reforms their collapse of their empire was certain. They sealed their own fates by keeping women uneducated and therefore denying any chance of women being able to contribute to the society. The West is what makes up the whole argument that Amin brings. He ties all of his arguments and biases to the west and the traditions of the old Islamic faiths have forgone. He continues to harp on the idea of proper education and upbringing and of women, as Amin put it, led to the solution of all sorts of family problems (20.) Amin explained this statement by addressing some of the main features of an ‘ignorant wife’. In his opinion, during the upbringing of this type of woman, intensive indoctrination took place. The woman's perception of a good husband was strictly tied to his ability to entertain, feed and shelter. From this particular perception stemmed the inability of an ignorant wife to be a partner and a good listener to her educated husband as soon as mutual sensual desire diminished between them. Lack of comprehension between the spouses inevitably created hatred. Amin contrasted this tragedy with another scenario, featuring an educated wife, whose appropriate knowledge and education enabled her to move the temporary stage of sensual desire into a permanent stage of "spiritual attraction" (19). This is why I feel the Ottomans failed to