Eve has her Bachelor's degree in history and Master's degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania. She was a classroom teacher for 5 years and an adjunct instructor at the collegiate level for 2 years.
The Ottoman Empire: Economy & Religion
Table of Contents
ShowFrom about 1301-1922, the Ottomans ruled an empire that included Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia, Hungary, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and much of coastal North Africa. That's a lot of land! For centuries the Ottomans had to go to war to protect their power and territory.
In the mid-15th century, Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II conquered the city known at the time as Constantinople and defeated the Byzantine Empire. He slaughtered and exiled people before rebuilding the city as Istanbul, the city of Islam, and made it capital of the newly expanded Ottoman Empire. From that point, the Ottomans became an important part of the European political and economic landscape.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
When Mehmet conquered Constantinople, he defeated the 1100 year old Byzantines, who were Christian, and installed Islam as the governing ideology of the Ottoman Empire. Theology, jurisprudence, education, expansion, etc., were all based in Islamic tradition. Additionally, as the Empire controlled the territories that included the three holiest Muslim sites - Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem - Ottoman Sultans felt an obligation to act as the protectors of Islam itself and as such were also caliphs (spiritual and political leaders of Muslims worldwide).
The sultan/caliph was required to rule using Islamic law, also known as sharia. Islamic religious knowledge was taught in schools that were state-run and widespread. The military traveled throughout the world, from Spain to Sumatra (Indonesia) to fight for persecuted Muslims. The identity and characteristics of the Ottoman Empire were defined by Islam.
Yet, not all citizens of the Ottoman Empire were Muslims. Christians and Jews were permitted to live and practice in their territories under the millet system. Millets were small groups of like minded people that elected their own leaders and enforced their own laws. Still, each millet operated under the Sultan and paid taxes. The most invasive tax was the devshirme, or gathering system, in which non-Muslims were required to surrender some of their male children to the state to become slaves, soldiers, or occasionally government workers.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
In addition to the vast territory and number of citizens, the biggest reason for Ottoman longevity was its critical location relative to trade routes. Istanbul was the point at which east and west met to exchange silk, tea, spices, grain, furs, etc. The system that brought merchants from all over the world functioned smoothly because of organization, supervision, and regulation. Licenses were required and profits were limited so that trade was fair. The economic prosperity of the Ottoman Empire declined as international disputes led European leaders to seek out alternate trade routes and many European countries industrialized earlier than the Ottomans and became more self-reliant.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
The Ottoman Empire ruled a vast territory covering parts of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East for around 600 years. Sultan Mehmet II's victory in Constantinople ushered in Islamic influence when he renamed the city Istanbul. The Ottomans' Muslim influence was evident in their practice of sharia law and in going to war worldwide to protect the interests of Muslims (even if they were not Ottoman citizens). Non-Muslims were permitted to live and practice in the Ottoman Empire through the millet system, which allowed them to have their own leaders but remain obligated to the Sultan and his taxes. Additionally, the Ottoman Empire held an important economic position as critical crossroads for trade between Asia and Europe.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Register to view this lesson
Unlock Your Education
See for yourself why 30 million people use Study.com
Become a Study.com member and start learning now.
Become a MemberAlready a member? Log In
BackResources created by teachers for teachers
I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline.