Essays on Ottoman Empire

Part I

During the 17th century, the European underwent a social, political and economic transformation as compared to the Arab worlds. This meant that the British increased in population at a higher rate as opposed to the Arab, improved technologically and economically also (Clancy and Smith 34). This brought a superiority complex between the two worlds with the Europeans proving to be the dominant in many instances. This made the Arabs to start looking forward to the ways and culture of the European. This greatly influenced the great reformations in the Arab Empires hence inviting the British to their land in Continue reading...

During the late 18th century, the power of the Ottoman Empire Began to decline, this is when the Eastern Question emerged. The Eastern Question in the European history refers to the political problems that came about once the Ottoman Empire started falling apart. The Eastern Questions does not refer to a particular question but refers to the many problems that came by once the Ottoman Empire declined in the 18th,19th and 20th Century. These problems were mainly on the European territories that were subjects of the Ottoman Empire; they were experiencing instabilities after the collapse of the empire.
Continue reading...

In the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire, the Ottoman Egypt and Qajar Persia embarked on ambitious project to reform their countries. The empires wanted to develop form the Stone Age to the modern ages. This saw the improvement of their arm including their arsenals, the banking systems, decriminalization of homosexuality and the introduction of secular laws. There were major projects introduced all-round the empires including development of infrastructure and the economy in general.
They sought the help of the Europeans as they needed funds to finance their projects. This led the empires to sign treaties and agreements that will Continue reading...

Introduction:

This paper is about a particular object in the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. I have chosen the item known as ‘Glazed Fritware Bottle’ from Iznik in Turkey dating from the 16th Century and pertaining to the Ottoman Empire. The paper will attempt to analyse the object in detail with regards to its form, line, shape, color, texture, mass and composition and will also provide a detailed artistic appraisal of the object. The Glazed Fritware Bottle carries catalogue number: Lns 327C and is part of the famed Al Sabah Collection of Kuwait, which is on permanent exhibition at the Continue reading...

Introduction

This paper analyzes the fall Europe into the dark ages (middle ages) after the collapse of the Roman Empire while the Islamic world entered into a golden age of learning and culture. In relation to the paper discusses the social, cultural, political and religious factors which accounted for the transformation of a largely Bedouin society into the center of the world learning while the collapse of the roman empire led to nearly a thousand years of backwardness among Europeans.

Analysis

Western medieval studies considered the beginning of the collapse of the Middle Ages the Western Roman Empire at the end Continue reading...

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire is one of the major forces that shaped the political, economic and the social arena of most of the countries in South Eastern Europe. Weidenfeld (1995) asserts that the might of the empire was not only felt in Europe but also in many parts of African Islamic states and in the Middle East (p.45). Osman I. was the founder of the Empire in 1299. It grew from a small state called Constantinople (now known as Istanbul) to the mighty Empire. From scratch to larger empire, Ottoman Empire was faced by numerous challenges during its rule. This Continue reading...

Apparently it is of essence to denote that, though Albania is a country that has the aptitude to develop economically and politically. Their capacity to engage in beneficial associations is evidently suppressed due to their earlier engagements (McCormick and Jonathan 47). In essence, being part of the Ottoman Empire that was predominant in 17th century affected Albania in many apparent ways. Though Ottoman Empire was developed for as good course as it may give the impression. Times associated with it are deemed unproductive and unrefined considering that it had a lot of biases that technically alienated non-Muslim countries (Bogdani Continue reading...

The institutional affiliation

This caesardom was established by Turkic tribes in Anatolia. The Ottoman Empire has existed from 1299 to 1923, in other words, more than 600 years. Its title comes from the name of Sultan Osman I, the founder of the dynasty of the Ottomans. The empire reached its peak of influence during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. Many causes contributed to the rise of the new powers. For example, the Millet System. It was a legal court refered to personal rights, in which some communities could rule according to their own rules. The Millet System of Islamic law has Continue reading...

How do you explain a shift in the historical trajectory of the Muslim world from a period of ascendancy between the fifteenth and the seventeenth century to a period of decline and European domination from the eighteenth century on?

Introduction

History offers us a wide variance and mosaic of human activity. The human civilization has emerged from simple hunting and gathering techniques for basic survival to an era of increasingly complex and modern machinery and technology. This journey of man through history has unravelled a series of struggles and has witnessed the rise and fall of different civilizations and empires. Continue reading...

In 1820s the Ottoman Empire experienced significant financial difficulties, which resulted into a considerable increase in the interest rates. Therefore, the state took various strategies to deal with the problem, including through tax-farmers in tax collection. It is during this time that the Galata bankers rose to prominence (Pamuk, 226). Galata bankers were the moneyexchangers (sarrafs), who gained popularity during the 18th century, and grew to large financials. They took advantage of the financial difficulties of the state, especially in addressing the short-term and long-term financial needs. The Galata bankers are known to be providing financial help to the Continue reading...

Introduction

Studies are showing that the decline of the Ottoman Turks Empire in spite of the interferences to save it has always concerned the responsiveness of historians. Furthermore, the decline which begins in the second part of the 19th century is actually though to have been as an outcome of differing social and political aspect in the empire in addition to the financial condition of the empire. Other studies have mentioned that it was led to the discharge of the ottoman rulers by the Europeans as experienced rulers who could lead the empire to reconstruction. The empire was confronted with Continue reading...

Brief history of Saudi Arabia

Historic area of the Arabian Peninsula, which now occupies the western Saudi Arabia, is usually called Hijaz and Najd. At the beginning of the VII century Muhammad’s prophetic mission began in Mecca, where the Meccan pagans denied it. After 13 years he moved to Medina (Yathrib), inhabited by Arabs and Jews. A peace treaty was signed with the latter. Gradually, Arabs all of the Arabian Peninsula became his followers.

Saudi Arabia map

In 632, Arab Caliphate with its capital in Medina was founded. It engulfed almost the entire Arabian Peninsula. As a result of voluntary annexations and conquests by the IX Continue reading...

Battles of the Ottoman and the Safavid Empires

The Middle East has long been seen as one of the richest regions in the world, not just for its riches, but it was also rich of centuries-old traditions and history that has shaped mankind. The region became known as the epicenter of world trade with the establishment of the Silk Road and sea-lanes connecting Eurasia together. It was also in the Middle East wherein religions and ethnicities were created and diversified, transforming societies and cultures throughout the globe. Many nations have attempted to take this very diverse and rich land, however, the region was only controlled by a Continue reading...

Introduction

Kemalism can also be referred to as either Ataturkism or The Six Arrows. It is Turkey’s founding ideology. It represents the sweep of social, political, religious and cultural reforms that resulted to the consideration of Turkey citizens as equals regardless of religion as they created a national, unitary and secular state from the Ottoman Empire. In essence, this is a political ideology established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding father and the president.

Short Summary

Kemalism is a philosophy that focused on modernization in the sense of guiding transition between multi-ethnic Ottoman Empire to the secular, multi-religious and the unitary Continue reading...

The Ottoman state was a total monarchy in most of it years while in existence. The sultan was at the top of hierarchical ottoman governance with political, judicial, social, military, and religious capacities executing services under different titles. Religiously, as the chief executor, he was accountable only to God’s law- sharia. This paper seeks to compare and contrast the character/characteristics and policies of Mehmet II, Selim I and Suleyman I.
The Janissaries comprised of young Christians who were rewarded handsomely to keep the loyalty to the Sultan. Mehemet certified independent religious communities to give its members freedom religiously Continue reading...

The Arab-Israel conflict history has a level of convenience elasticity due to inability of objectively presenting the timelines of the events, in regard to the conflicts. The term Arab is not used in reference to a self collection of a certain society, for example, in Palestine. Rather Arabs are mostly centered in various states, in Asia such as Saudi Arabia, Palestine, United Arab Emirates among others. However, Arabs are also centered in the North of Africa and fragmented in various countries around the globe. The Arab-Israeli conflict can trace its roots in the 18th century when Zionist movements were Continue reading...

Education was a key factor in the Westernization of the Ottoman Empire. During the peak of its rule in the 15th to 17th centuries, the Ottoman Empire covered much of modern day Europe and stretch in part of Asia and Africa. This paper briefly describes the empire then discusses the processes that contributed to its westernization.

The Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire began with the reign of Muhammad II in 1481 and lasted for close to five centuries until its collapse in 1918. During the peak of its power in 16th to the 17th century, its territory included present day Turkey, Egypt, Continue reading...

The Ottoman Empire (1289-1923) and the Mughal Empire (1526-1858) both constituted the large Muslim Empires established by the Turkish speaking rulers who migrated from the central region of Asia and conquered the lands that were previously harmed due to the invasions by Mongols. They effectively employed the gun-powder arms and ammunition for establishing their ruler over the regions which were extremely diversified on the basis of religions and ethnicity.

The Ottoman Empire

In 1453, the religious warriors of Islam called ghazis successfully conquered Constantinople that was the capital of the Byzantine Empire. The ottoman Turks made Constantinople as their capital and named Continue reading...

Taking into account the sources of Islamic law, what changes did the ulama in Persia undergo during the reign of Shah Abbas I (1587-1629) that would have direct influence on the Iranian Revolution of 1979?
Shah Abbas (or Abbas I) hated sunnies and he suggested a new denomination to people: Twelver Shiism. Shah Abbas and many other traditional religious people were against any change in Iran. They wanted to follow the belief of Shiism.
The Ulama (the respected religious people with religious degrees) was trying to unite the belief of Shiism and the philosophy of Aristotelian and neo-Platonic. The Continue reading...

Ottoman Empire rose from the thirteenth century to the 1923. Just like many other empires, for instance, Habsburg, Ottoman rule was dynastic whose character and territories were determined by its administrative power and military capability. The Turks conquered many territories and converted them into Islam. This was accompanied by successive revolts from the conquered lands, which spurred the Ottoman repression policies. This polices were meant to respond to the ongoing revolts and prevent future uprisings. This paper seeks to explore the various repression policies implemented by the Ottoman rulers during 1820s to 1918.
Denial policy was a significant policy Continue reading...

There is a great contrast in these 16th Century documents between the way a European observer described the wealth, power and confidence of the Ottoman Empire at its height, and how the Aztec records in The Broken Spears were filled with a sense of doom and despair as the relatively small Spanish force under Hernan Cortez approached their capital of Tenochtitlan. In the former case, the Turks already had conquered the Near East and the Balkans, and the Europeans were not at all certain they could ever defeat them or even fight a successful defensive action against their large Continue reading...

The Causes to the Decline of the Ottoman Empire

In ancient history, two Empires can be considered the foundations of two of the most practiced religions in the globe – the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire. Both Empires dominated their respective domains, enlarged their empires, and supported their choice religion – Catholicism for the Byzantine Empire and Islam for the Ottoman Empire. While many are familiar with the history of the Byzantine Empire’s rise and fall, others only know the Ottoman Empire briefly as one of the prominent Empires in the Middle East. Like the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire can be considered its Middle Eastern counterpart as Continue reading...

Dhimmis in the Ottoman Empire

In ancient history, several records indicate that religious groups have migrated into nations from time to time to escape persecution. In the Middle East, the dhimmis or the non-Muslims became prominent in several Islamic regions as they migrated from their homelands due to persecution. However, like other religions, they were considered a separate entity from the main state due to their conflicting religions. Nevertheless, the dhimmis gained various treatments while in the Muslim territories, which is notable even up to the Ottoman Empire. This paper focuses on the nature and influence of the dhimmis in the Ottoman Empire's quest Continue reading...

Short Answer Questions

Briefly describe the main contentions of the Wahhabi movement and the two main ways this movement differed from other revivalist movements.
The Wahhabi movement is a movement that is popular in radical, fundamentalist Islam. The movement is a subsection of Sunni Islam, although there is much contention surrounding the issue-- many people, including Islamic scholars, debate heavily about whether or not Ibn Wahhab, the theological father of the Wahhabi movement, could himself be considered a Sunni Muslim.
Theologically, the Wahhabi movement differs significantly from other revivalist movements in modern Islam. Firstly, the Wahhabi movement denies the legitimacy of all Continue reading...

The Crimean war which apparently began over a trivial control of the Orthodox Christians of the holy cities of Jerusalem and Nazareth was actually the culmination of a long power struggle in Europe. The aggressive expansionism of Russia coupled with its pledge to rule over the Ottoman Empire in order to gain control of the route to Asia and the consequent British fear of losing its business trades to Asia and to check Russian expansionism resulted in eruption of the Crimean war. Ultimately, the Russians had to meekly surrender to the Allied forces of Britain, France, Turkey and a neutral attitude of Austria. The war was also famous for the “Charge of the Light Brigade” and Florence Nightingale. A precursor to the modern warfare was seen for the first time during the Crimean war. Continue reading...

- What was the hijrah (emirgration/migration) that Muhammad and his followers made, and why was this such an important event in Muslim history?
The “Hijrah” – is the Prophet Muhammad's and his supporters` flight from Mecca to Medina, where the first Muslim community was founded in 622 AD. Basically, “hijrah” in Arabic language has got a meaning of relocation from one place to another. As a religious term, the word "hijra" is used in cases of relocation of believers who are oppressed in their homeland and deprived of freedom of religion, to other regions where there are more favorable conditions Continue reading...

Similarities And Differences Between The Armenian Genocide And The Jewish Holocaust

Genocide refers to a deliberate intention of the destruction and killing of people of a particular ethnic, cultural or religious people. The people in government who usually perform such action have attitudes and behaviors that were discriminative and racial in nature though they were being covered up in super nationalistic ideologies (Kelman, 1973). The Armenian Genocide and the Jewish Holocaust have several similarities and differences and scholars have examined both events and explored what led to such actions.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian genocide occurred in several steps over several years during World War 1 in the Ottoman Empire. First of all Continue reading...

In the field and history of architecture some works are considered as outstanding due to a number of qualities including structural and aesthetic value of their architecture. There are some architects in the history who have contributed remarkably in the field of the architecture and through their innovative ideas and several unique designs, have become an ideal for their descendant architects. One of such architect is the Sinan who is considered unanimously the greatest architecture of the ottoman architecture. This paper discusses the architecture Sinan, salient features of his designs and his contributions in the ottoman architecture.
Sinan served Continue reading...

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An increase in population and wealth led to the creation of governments and in turn saw to the rise of powerful empires. Said empires have since been recorded among the most influential domains in the history of the world. Consequently, as one empire rose to power another fell in the hands of their enemies thus creating a form of competition amongst neighboring domains. For instance, Greece was a colony of the Ottoman Empire until the Greek War of Independence that lasted between 1821 and 1831 (Masters and Agoston, 2009, p. 240). Therefore, the empires rose to power Continue reading...

1. What caused the decline of the Ottomans beginning with the 17th century up to the beginning of the twentieth century?

The reign of Mahmud II directly led to the decline of the Ottoman Empire, as his decisions hung over the empire for generations. First and foremost, Mahmud II abolished the Janissary corps in 1826 in order to reform the Ottoman Empire's army and modernize the nation of Turkey, which also led to increasing Western European influence in the nation. Nationalism began to rise even more, often centered around religion; following the Tanzimat reforms of 1839, the self-contained millet Continue reading...

Back in the early conquest period, the Ottoman Empire has made an impact over history as one of the recognized civilizations in the Middle East. From Middle East to the shores of Constantinople, the Ottoman Empire has managed to influence these locations and implement changes. However, one Sultan made a clear mark upon his ascendance to the Ottoman throne, and is still considered a hero due to his contributions to ancient history and to his homeland Turkey. This Sultan is none other than Mehmed II or the famous Conqueror, the known leader of the Ottoman forces in the famous Continue reading...

World War I began in the year 1914 and lasted through to 1918. While the war started off in Europe, with Germany attempting to become the supreme power in the region, its influence was not limited to that region. The Middle East too was severely impacted by the global turbulence. The Great War carved the history of the Arab world by triggering crucial political upheavals and changes in core beliefs.

The Ottoman Empire had been in power for over four centuries and had become the biggest Islamic power in the world. Neutrality in international conflicts, especially the Great War, Continue reading...

Introduction

Understanding the dynamics of Crimean War changing the European occurring over 150 years ago changing European history proved the undoing of the international system existing in Europe for a significant period aligned to how the prevailing rules European leaders conducted foreign policy and maintaining the peace. Until the onset of the Crimean Wars in the early 1850s, Europe’s five major powers engaged in a “complex” practices in dealing with allaying potentially dangerous confrontations.
One example of the outcome of the Crimean War was the disassembling of the pact between the conservative Russian, Prussian, and Austrian monarchies known as Continue reading...

PART I:

Britain played a crucial role in shaping the economic and political history through the way it colonized various countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The aspects of European imperialism are shown clearly how it influenced the economic and political activities in the countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Several forms of European imperialism were reflected between the period of 1750 to 1914 in countries like Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia. Napoleon brought a great influence and impact in Egypt while French colonization in Algeria contributed to the way various economic and political forces were shaped in Continue reading...

Influence of Britain and Australia on Middle East during the Great War

The Great War, or the World War I, saw its end in 1918, but even after 86 years, there is no end in sight to the violence that it triggered. The end of the War influenced and shaped our modern world to an extent like none else. Although the reflection of today’s development, as a whole, traces its route back to the decisions taken during and post-World War I, the one place where the violent results still echo is Middle East.
Middle East had been ruled by the Ottoman Empire since four decades. By the end of 1914, Continue reading...

What factors have catalyzed developments in human civilization during the past millennium?

Introduction
Throughout the past millennium, humankind has experienced vast developments that became instrumental to reaching its eventual current state. Although there is an understanding that humankind inevitably undergoes change as time goes by, various themes in world history have characterized the transformations that emerged during the past 1000 years. Such provides valuable insights on how humankind could possibly evolve as they continue to exist. The following themes have depicted developments in human civilization – the growth of empires, emancipation from oppression and permeation of foreign influence that has countered tradition. The constant desire of humankind to expand their utility has Continue reading...

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My name is Selim. I am from the Ottoman Empire where I worked as a Cassoum with my job description entailing property handling for the orphans in my city. The city of Salonica was my home, where I lived with my wife, three sons, and my sister-in-law. You should know my house was one of the largest in the city standing on a pleasantly vast property with an incredible view of the city and its residents. It is no wonder the government moved so fast to posses it upon my exile. Continue reading...

[Professor]

Iran and Turkey are predominantly Islamic countries. Women since time immemorial share the same sentiments of male domination and severe violence and non-participation. On the other hand, both countries have women’s movements that are still in place up to this day. Both of the movements have ebbs and flows but they were able to withstand the wrath of patriarchy, and most importantly, they were able to fight back. From being marginalized and subjected to state fascism, women in Iran and Turkey are now enjoying some of the fruits of the long-running women’s movements. Their dreams of Continue reading...

Introduction

History of the Ottoman Empire is saturated with different thrilling events. The release of David Lean's movie “Lawrence of Arabia” made it possible for the general audience to see how the British Empire campaigned during World War I to achieve independence for the Arab countries from the Ottoman Empire. The movie, however, does not answer the question why the British troops supported the Arabs and why the Turkish chose Germans at their allies. The movie also does not explain what the mission of Lawrence of Arabia in the deserts was. Other prominent authors have widely speculated on the themes Continue reading...

ANALYSIS AND EXPORATION OF ASIA MINOR BY HORATIO SOUTHGATE

<Student’s Name>

Asia Minor, the area which is located in the north-western part of Asia and includes Anatolic peninsula, Mesopotamia and surrounding areas, has always been a crossroad of civilizations. The history of the region pretty much reflects the history of mankind. From Hettic and Phinician tribes to Egiptians, from Ancient Persians, Greeks and Romans to modern Turks, Kurds and Arabs – hundreds of nations have crossed the land or settled down there.
The importance of geopolitical and economical status of the area was understood of leaders of various nations throughout the past three thousand years. Being a Continue reading...