The Ottomans! Flashcards
(13 cards)
Background: Where were the Mongols during the founding of the Ottomans?
They were thriving and invading Turkish lands
Background: Where is Europe during the founding of the Ottomans?
Europe was at the end of the Middle Ages (1200s)
Background: Where is Anatolia during the founding of the Ottomans?
Anatolia was made up of partly nomadic ghazi Turks.
Ghazi
Warriors for Islam: similar to Christian knights in Europe, they followed a strict Islamic code.
Who was Osman?
Founder of the Ottomans. He began as a successful ghazi, and his victories drew followers called Ottomans. He established a small state in Anatolia.
What battle kickstarted the Ottoman empire?
Osman and his son, Orkhan, conquered Bursa, a city in Turkey.
How were conquered peoples treated by the Ottomans?
JANISSARIES: Enslaved young Christian boys were trained to become Islamic viziers (Arabic: wazir) which were high-ranking political and military advisors. Abrahamic people were granted religious freedom but demanded taxes. Non-muslims couldn’t be in the military.
What was the Timurid empire
It’s capital, Samarkand was in presetn day Uzbekistan. At its height, it spanned Russia and Persia.
Who was Timur the Lame, what battle did he fight with the Ottomans and how did it impact the empire?
A ruthless emperor claiming descent from Genghis Khan. He fought the Battle of Ankara, where he defeated the Ottomans and captured the Sultan. This led to a civil war between 4 of the Ottomans’ sons.
Who emerged from the Ottoman Interregnum period, and what were his achievements?
Mehmet II
Conquered and plundered Constantinople, opening up the city to people of all faiths/races, began to develop into what is now Istanbul.
Converted the Hagia Sophia into a mosque.
Who was Selim the Grim?
Brutal guy who overthrew his father and defeated the Safavids at the Battle of Chaldiran. He also captured Mecca and Medina and conquered egypt.
Who was Suleiman the Magnificent/Suleiman the Lawmaker?
Led during the golden age of the Ottomans.
Codified Islamic and secular law
Simplified taxation and reduced bureaucracy
Sinan, an architect, built the mosque of Suleiman
Expanded further while maintaining prosperity inside.
How did the Ottoman Empire decline?
Suleiman killed one son, exiled the other and an incompetent son ended up taking the throne, leading to lots of military defeats. A pattern of corruption emerged through other sultans and after WWI, the Allies took land away from the ottomans and cut it up for themselves in what later became the modern nation of Turkey.
