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Leaders: There were many significant leaders of the Ottoman Empire; beginning with Turkish tribe leader Osman I, who officially founded the empire in 1299. Osman was able to unite many of the independent Anatolian states and establish a strong formal government with well developed structures and religious tolerance for all. Another significant leader of this empire was Mehmed I, who emerged ruler of the unified empire after the civil war of 1402-1413, aka the Ottoman Interregnum. Because of this, many historians today refer to him as the second founder of the Ottoman Empire. However, the strongest leader of the Ottoman Empire was a man named Suleiman the Magnificent. He ruled the empire from 1520-1566, at which time the Ottoman Empire reached it's peak. They were stronger than ever before, and had conquered and expanded so far that their territory reached to Hungary and Greece. Osman I Mehmed I Suleiman the MagnificentAccomplishments: The Ottoman Empire was a very successful empire, ruling over most of Europe and the Middle East for over 600 years. They were able to take control of almost all land routes in East Asia and many major trade routes. They were also able to conquer Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which was the strongest and most successful empire in the world at that time. After Constantinople was conquered, it was renamed Istanbul and the Ottomans fell into place as the most powerful empire in the world. Because of this change in power, many scholars and artists fled to Italy, sparking the Italian Renaissance. European Empires also began to look for new trade routes farther east as a result of this overthrow, which lead to the beginning of the Age of Exploration as well.

The social structure of the Ottoman Empire was a large and extremely complicated structure, divided between groups of muslims and non-muslims. Muslims were believed to hold a higher status than people that were christian or jewish, but status was based on merit and not birth. A very simplified version consists of the sultan on the top of the pyramid and the political officials, who were only allowed to be Muslim, underneath him. Underneath the political leaders were 4 distinct social classes. First came men of pen (scientists, lawyers, doctors, etc.), then men of sword (soldiers), men of negotiations (tax collectors, merchants), and men of husbandry (farmers, shepherds, artisans, etc.).

Art: The most common forms of art in the Ottoman Empire were painting, calligraphy, pottery, and weaving. The Ottoman Islamic art world consisted of 3 genres of paintings; traditional (more floral and nature elements), saz (more magical and imaginative elements with mystical Asian animal influence), and naturalistic (more garden-like elements with specific asian and middle eastern floral influence). Calligraphy was also a significant part of this empire, seen as both decorative and symbolic to the Islamic religion. Many Ottoman calligraphers studied the art for years, and it was used as important decoration for the walls of many mosques and palaces. In the pottery world, the Ottomans were known for a type of pottery called Iznik wear. They would form, bake, and then paint the sculptures with blue, green, and red paint and then decorate the exterior with beautifully intricate stencils and designs. Lastly, weaving was a fairly popular practice in the Ottoman Empire. Weavers would create the most beautiful and intricate carpets and rugs, which they were then able to sell and trade across Europe and the far east region. Architecture: Ottoman Architecture was a very significant and spiritual part of society, heavily influenced by both Islam and Christianity. Their architectural design was most commonly drawn from Persian, Byzantine, and Arabic styles, creating a unique and magnificent blend of both eastern and western architectural style. Mosques, Madrassas, Palaces, and tombs were popular projects in the empire, along with schools, kitchens, hospitals, and even universities. The Ottoman's grand and dramatic architectural style of large colorful buildings with giant domes and pillars still amaze the world today. Technology: The Ottoman's greatest technological advances were in the fields of astronomy, military, and medicine. Because Islam dominated the Ottoman Empire, the study of astronomy was required to calculate the timing of prayers and worship. The Istanbul Observatory is one of the Ottoman's greatest and most advanced achievements. Ottoman astronomers developed many useful astronomical tools in the observatory as well, including the sextant (helped measure the distance between stars), something called Dhāt al-awtar, aka the instrument of chords (helped designate the spring and fall equinoxes), and a type of astronomical clock (a kind of mechanical clock that helped keep track of time). The Ottoman empire was also known for their medreses, which were schools that people from all over the world would attend to learn about astronomy, science, medicine, and mathematics. They also established many military training centers that developed advanced systems of military organization, structure, and strategy. There, they developed many new military weapons and tools, including matchlocks, submarines, volley gun, and a type of canon called the Dardanelles gun. The Ottomans also contributed to great advancements in medicine, including the invention of many surgical instruments such as the scalpel, forceps, and catheters. They built hospitals and clinics, where they set up intricate hospital structures and healthcare systems which contributed greatly to the medical knowledge we have today.

The labor system in the Ottoman Empire mostly consisted of slaves. The empire would either conquer them in war or purchase them from foreign empires and then sell them to the population of their own empire. The more the Ottoman Empire expanded, the more their slave labor force expanded as well, increasing the productivity and efficiency of the empire as a whole. About 20% of the entire empire's population were slaves, but they were treated much differently than the slaves in other societies. Because the Ottoman Empire was under Islamic law, slave masters were required to treat their workers fairly and provide them with food, shelter, clothes, and healthcare. Male slaves could be either military or domestic slaves, while women were almost always domestic slaves. Both European and African people could be slaves, but tasks were still assigned based on race and gender. Enslaved women surprisingly had a lot of free time and were able to participate in leisure activities with their slave owners. Slave ownership was not uncommon in upperclass to higher middle class families, and many slave women were actually raised as part of their owner's family. Slavery was not a permanent status in Ottoman society either. Depending on race and gender, an enslaved person could leave slavery after a certain number of years and even climb up the social ladder through marriage or career. If a slave was unhappy, they could ask to be resold or even freed, and their owners were usually very respectful and understanding towards them. Slavery in the Ottoman Empire was extremely different from the slavery systems of other empires, and some poorer classes even looked at Ottoman slavery as a privilege.

The dominant religion of the Ottoman Empire was Islam. The beliefs and laws of the Islamic religion were deeply incorporated into the empire's military, political, and social systems. To become the Sultan, you were required to be a devout Muslim and take on the title of "protector of Islam". Islam is a monotheistic religion that actually shares a lot of similar principles and beliefs to Christianity and Judaism. They believed in Allah, the one true god, and the Quran, which is the Islamic holy book of scripture revealed to the prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. Although Islam was the main religion, the empire was actually very religiously tolerant and did not require the people they conquered to convert. The Ottoman empire was actually a complex melting pot of many different religions, and many parts of their social structure were based off what religion you belonged to. This principle of religious tolerance was able to unite the people of the Ottoman Empire together and helped keep peace between them and the government, which was actually one of the main factors that allowed this empire to rule for so long.

The Ottoman Empire was actually one of the greatest trading centers in the world. This was because it was located in mainly in the middle east, which is basically where Europe, Africa, and Asia all connect. The Ottoman Empire was at a crossroads between the East and the West, which allowed them to take control of most of the main trade routes throughout the world. The Ottomans would export luxury goods such as silk, furs, tobacco and spices, and had a growing trade in cotton. Most Ottomans imported goods from Europe that they could not make themselves, including wool cloth, glassware, medicine, gunpowder and clocks. Because trade was so popular, there was a lot of state supervision in commerce, and there were taxes on almost every trade and transaction. The profit on trading was limited to 10% and government was constantly working to ensure trade was conducted fairly. The Empire's economy as a whole was mainly agrarian, and most of their population earned a living through farming, trading, and mining.

The political structure of the Ottoman empire was an absolute monarchy, where the sultan had absolute authority and power. The Sultan was the religious and political leader, expected to guarantee justice, and was viewed by the people of the empire as the “protector of Islam”. They were taught that if the Sultan did not have absolute power that they would be dependent on each other, which would lead to sin and corruption. The government was organized as a strict hierarchy in which your rank had to be earned. Military service and power would help advance people in their political rankings and positions. As the empire expanded, so did the structure of the government. More people to govern required more administrative positions, which lead to the division of power system. There were two divisions, the military administration and civil administration. The highest position of in Islam, aka caliphate, was of course claimed by the Sultan. Overall, the Ottoman government was highly centralized, and most of its power rested on a single person instead of it being split between branches and officials.

What led to the decline and eventual downfall of the Ottoman Empire? Beginning in the 1600s, the Ottoman Empire began to lose its military and economic dominance to Europe. This was because of the many advancements and positive consequences the Renaissance and the start of the Industrial Revolution had on Europe as a whole. This, along with poor leadership and competition for trade, began the decline of the Ottoman Empire. In 1683, the Ottomans were defeated in the Battle of Vienna, officially ensuing a long and slow series of land losses and defeats throughout the next hundred years. By 1878, Greece, Romania, Serbia, and Bulgaria had all declared their independence from the empire. The Balkan Wars were the final blow in the decline of the Ottomans, causing the loss of nearly all of the empire's remaining territory to Europe. The last nail in the Ottoman Empire's coffin was their fatal decision to join the side of the Central Powers in WWI. When they were defeated in 1918, most Ottoman territories were divided between Britain, France, Russia, and Greece. Only 4 years later, the title of Ottoman Sultan was eliminated for good and the reign of the Ottoman Empire officially over. Turkey was then declared a republic in 1923 and lead by its founder and first president, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

The Ottoman Empire was one of the world's strongest and most powerful dynasties. It began in 1299 and ended in 1922, ruling over much of the Middle East and Eastern Europe for over 600 years. It controlled most of the world's major trade routes for many years and was a constant busy hub of trade and commerce. The empire was ruled by an absolute monarchy, with an all powerful Sultan as its leader. Both the political and social structures were heavily influenced by the beliefs and practices of the Islam religion, which dominated the empire. The Ottoman Empire was most known for its astrological, architectural, and medical advancements and its capitol, Istanbul, was a place where art and education flourished. The Ottomans emphasized the importance of knowledge, education, and religion. It was a fairly peaceful empire where technology, art, and science thrived and political and economic stability reigned.

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