The Rise and Fall of the Ottoman Empire
Considered one of the most powerful empires in history, the Ottoman Empire was a multinational empire that lasted for more than six hundred years. The hearth of the Ottoman Empire was near the Empire of Rum, a region located in close proximity to the Byzantine Empire. From the beginning, the Ottomans faced conflict from this dominant empire, which became a crucial contributor to their success. The Ottoman Empire’s rise and fall was caused primarily by its aggressive leadership, strict government, and outside conflict.
How did the Ottoman Empire gain power?
The creation of the Ottoman Empire was a result of constant pressure from the two main surrounding areas of Anatolia: the Byzantine Empire and Mongolia. During the early thirteenth century, the Byzantine Empire had begun to decline. This was not reassuring, however, to the Turks who were still a weaker society in comparison. On the eastern part of Anatolia were the Mongols, who had proven countless times that their power was still dominant in the Middle East. The Mongols were seen as a bigger threat to the Turks, and the constant invasions from the east left them desperate[1]. It would eventually be Osman, son of Ertughrul, who would become a prominent figure in the rise of the Ottoman Empire and stand up to the Mongols.
Osman’s father, Erthughrul, ignited the development of the Turkish people during the late thirteenth century. After aiding the Seljuks in a seemingly hopeless battle and then proving to be victorious, the Seljuk Sultan expressed his gratitude to Erthughrul and the Turks by providing him with a piece of land near the province of Bithynia[2]. In essence, it was Erthughrul’s actions that became the starting point for Osman to shape the Turks into what would become the Ottoman Empire.
Osman realized the Turks had to show superiority in both military and economic power. Osman started with the former, in which he gathered the bravest Turkish men and the best horse riders. These men were expertly trained to use the bow and arrow while on horseback during battle[3]. Osman’s leadership and military power finally caused the Mongols to withdraw from Anatolia during the early 1300’s. Osman proceeded to expand his growing empire. The first move to establish an empire is to appoint a capital. Osman made Bursa the capital of his “Memalik Osmanya”, meaning the Principality of Osman, in 1305[4]. As the empire flourished, even more land was added. The Empire of Rum officially became incorporated into the thriving Ottoman Empire. With the Empire of Rum under his command, Osman now turned to the west. The declining, yet determined, Byzantine Empire was Osman’s next goal. In order to expand to the west, however, Osman would need to capture the capital at Constantinople. Through Osman’s expansion to the west, more men joined the Ottomans and many more converted to Islam (the religion of the Ottomans). Osman led his men in various raids, and much of the booty received from these raids was generously given to his men. Osman realized in order for his conquests to succeed, he must develop a deep trust between him and his men. Spoiling his men with precious jewels and goods would not be sufficient. Osman had to prove his leadership and military capability. Throughout much of his conquests, Osman had proven his skills as a warrior. Perhaps the most significant event that truly demonstrated Osman’s strategic tactics and warfare skills was the ambush of the Byzantine mercenary army[5]. A well-planned ambush followed by a strategic attack led many of Osman’s men to develop complete trust in his leadership and empire. With this established trust, Osman was able to develop an elite squad comprised of Christian men from the Balkans. This was group would be known as the janissaries, perhaps the most skilled group of the Ottoman Empire[6]. Eventually, Osman and his son Orhan, led the Balkans until Osman’s death in 1326. Orhan would also have a son, Murad, who would aid him in the defeat of the Serbs at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. The Ottomans were officially an expanding empire.
What allowed for the expansion of the Ottoman Empire?
Although Osman never captured Constantinople, it was still a priority for the now developed Ottoman Empire. The Empire had been through many leaders now, and it was not until Mehmet II became sultan in 1451 that Constantinople fell under Ottoman rule. Mehmet had been extremely determined to bring down Constantinople that it took merely two years since his rise to sultan[7]. In order to accomplish the siege, Mehmet used the Bosporus Strait into Constantinople to bring in warships. Along with his navy, Mehmet had eighty thousand troops compared to Constantinople’s seven thousand. With the help of the newest technology, warships near the port of Constantinople, and the outnumbering of troops, the fate of Constantinople had already been decided. Mehmet used canons that were twenty-six feet long with cannonballs that weighed up to twelve hundred pounds. With the capture of Constantinople, Mehmet merged the Byzantine Empire with the Ottoman Empire, renamed Constantinople to Istanbul, and made Istanbul the center of Sunni Islam[8].
The economic strength of Istanbul was crucial to the Ottoman Empire’s success. Due to its central location, people from Europe, Asia, and Africa could trade there. Goods such as silk and spices brought huge amounts of profit to the Ottoman Empire. The sack of Constantinople was strategically planned, as it had amazing potential as a trading hub and it joined the west with the east[9]. The Ottoman Empire had proficient land in Europe and the Middle East, which left Africa as the next logical place to expand to. This would not happen for approximately another fifty years, shortly after the reign of Mehmet. Selim I, the next sultan, was responsible for expanding into Africa. Not only did Africa have economic opportunities, Selim was interested in controlling the hearth of Islam. This included Egypt, Arabia, and Mesopotamia. The Ottoman Empire was a Muslim empire, and government and religion were interconnected, similar to both the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire[10].
The rule under Selim was well organized and revolved strictly around the religion of Islam. In order to become part of the ruling class in the empire, one must follow the Islamic faith and have complete trust, faith, and compliance to the sultan. The government was comprised of local rulers, called pashas, who were government officials and helped maintain the vast empire. Pashas could collect taxes and maintain the law in their specific region[11]. They were to report and serve directly to the sultan’s court at Istanbul. Selim also established the policy of fratricide. In this policy, the sultan’s brothers would be imprisoned until the sultan produced a son[12]. This eliminated any conflict between the sultan and his family over the throne. Later in the rule of the Ottoman Empire, the brothers would be imprisoned, but not executed.
What led to the downfall to the Ottoman Empire?
The Ottoman Empire carried on for approximately four hundred more years. It began to decline during the 17th century due to its various attempts and failures to capture Vienna. The Ottoman Empire also lost much of its economic power due to the competition of trade with the Americas. The ruthlessness that once existed in the Ottoman Empire began to decline, causing the empire to appear weaker and more prone to conflict in leadership. The policy of fratricide got rid of execution and limited it to imprisonment[13]. This gave the brothers of the sultan, who had spent their life in prison, the opportunity to become sultan. The empire finally came to a fall during World War I when it joined the Central Powers. After the invasion of the Allies and the region of Anatolia were brought under their control, the Ottoman Empire began to face internal conflict. The Turks within the Ottoman Empire were upset about the Allies being in their homeland. The Allies’ persistence to make the Ottoman Empire suppress the Turkish nationalists’ rebellions led to a civil war[14]. The civil war led to the emergency of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. Thus was the end of the Ottoman Empire.
The controlling leadership, powerful government, and outside conflict caused the rise as well as the fall to the Ottoman Empire. The first rise to power began with issues with the Byzantine Empire and the fall due to involvement in World War I; hence, both rise and fall were triggered by outside conflict. Though the long-lasting empire did finally come to an end, history clearly demonstrates that overall, the Ottomans were sufficient in maintaining their empire.
Works Cited
BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 02 Jan. 2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/ottomanempire_1.shtml>.
"Birth of the Turkish Republic." NZHistory, New Zealand History Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Jan. 2014. <http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/ottoman-empire/birth-of-turkey>.
"Ottoman Empire Documentary." YouTube. YouTube, 04 Jan. 2013. Web. 02 Jan. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfX-w-EN8sA>.
"The Rise of the Turks and the Ottoman Empire." The Rise of the Turks and the Ottoman Empire. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Dec. 2013. <http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Turkey2.html>.
"TheOttomans.org - Discover The Ottomans." TheOttomans.org - Discover The Ottomans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Dec. 2013. <http://www.theottomans.org/english/history/empire.asp>.
[1]"Ottoman Empire Documentary." YouTube. YouTube, 04 Jan. 2013. Web. 02 Jan. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfX-w-EN8sA>.
[2] "TheOttomans.org - Discover The Ottomans." TheOttomans.org - Discover The Ottomans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Dec. 2013. <http://www.theottomans.org/english/history/empire.asp>.
[3] "Ottoman Empire Documentary." YouTube. YouTube, 04 Jan. 2013. Web. 02 Jan. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfX-w-EN8sA>.
[4] "TheOttomans.org - Discover The Ottomans." TheOttomans.org - Discover The Ottomans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Dec. 2013. <http://www.theottomans.org/english/history/empire.asp>.
[5] "Ottoman Empire Documentary." YouTube. YouTube, 04 Jan. 2013. Web. 02 Jan. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfX-w-EN8sA>.
[6] "TheOttomans.org - Discover The Ottomans." TheOttomans.org - Discover The Ottomans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Dec. 2013. <http://www.theottomans.org/english/history/empire.asp>.
[7] "The Rise of the Turks and the Ottoman Empire." The Rise of the Turks and the Ottoman Empire. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Dec. 2013. <http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Turkey2.html>.
[8] Ibid
[9] BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 02 Jan. 2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/ottomanempire_1.shtml>.
[10] "The Rise of the Turks and the Ottoman Empire." The Rise of the Turks and the Ottoman Empire. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Dec. 2013. <http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Turkey2.html>.
[11] Ibid
[12] BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 02 Jan. 2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/ottomanempire_1.shtml>.
[13] Ibid
[14] "Birth of the Turkish Republic." NZHistory, New Zealand History Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Jan. 2014. <http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/ottoman-empire/birth-of-turkey>.