By: Cara Prince and Austin Wilcox

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.

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

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  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  The Ottoman did not reach its peak until Suleyman the Lawgiver came into power.

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.

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.

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.

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.