By: Cara Prince and Austin Wilcox

1. The Ottoman Empire By: Cara Prince and Austin Wilcox

2. Social • Suleyman created a law code to handle both criminal and civil actions. • He also simplified and limited taxes, and reduced government bureaucracy. • He created the devshirme system, this is where the sultan’s army drafted boys and educated them, converted them to Islam and trained them to be soldiers. • The elite force of 30,000 soldiers were known as Janissaries.

3. Political • The second Ottoman leader, Orkhan I, declared himself sultan. • Most Muslims were required to serve in Turkish armies, but didn’t have to pay tax to the state. Non-Muslims didn’t have to serve in the army, but had to pay tax. • The Ottomans captured many cities like: • Andrianople • Constantinople • Siria • Palestine • Mecca • Medina • Ciro

4. Political (Con’t) • The first ruler was Osman and he was the one who started the Ottoman Empire. • Then there was Orkhan, Osman’s son, he declared himself sultan in 1360. • And then there was Mehmed II, he achieved the most dramatic feat in Ottoman history by conquering Constantinople. • Mehmed II’s grandson, Selim the Grim, came into power in 1512. • The Ottoman did not reach its peak until Suleyman the Lawgiver came into power.

5. Interactions • All of the success of the Ottoman Empire was due to the use of gunpowder. • They used cannons to invade cities by blasting down the city walls. • They conquered more land, therefore the empire grew. • People moved outward and migrated to different cities in the empire.

6. Cultural • Suleyman had broad interests which contributed to the cultural achievements of the empire. • He liked to study poetry, history, geography, astronomy, mathematics, and architecture. • He employed one of the world’s finest architects, Sinan. • He created the Mosque of Suleyman. • It includes four schools, a library, a bath, and a hospital. • They also had a period similar to the European Renaissance.

7. Religions • The Ottomans were Muslim, but did not force their religion on others. • The Ottomans granted freedom of worship to other religious communities, particularly to Christians and Jews. • They allowed them to follow their own religious practices and laws. • This kept conflict among people of the various religions to a minimum.

8. Economic • The Ottoman Empire was known for its coffee trade. • It helped start coffee houses in London. • In 1600, the Ottoman empire was an important market for Europeans, by 1900 it was much less important because of excessive markups which caused Europeans to seek other routes to Asia.