1. Decline of the Ottoman Empire
Mr. Locke
World Civilizations
2011

2. Dynastic Decline
For three centuries the Ottomans had a strong and effective central authority, with rulers who were just, diligent and virtuous.
Eventually, these rulers gave way to those who were incompetent or extravagant spenders who cared more for personal luxuries than affairs of the state.
More problems arose from the suspicion and fighting among competing members of their ruling houses.
Princes were confined to the palace in an attempt to keep them out of trouble, instead it kept them politically inexperienced and influenced by all of the palace infighting.

3. Selim the Sot (reigned 1566-1574)

4. Ibrahim the Crazy (reigned 1640-1648)
Selim the Sot and Ibrahim the Crazy are examples of problem rulers of the Ottoman Empire. Ibrahim the Crazy was deposed and murdered for his excessive taxing and spending.

5. Religious Conservatism
Conservative Muslim clerics strongly objected to policies and practices that they considered affronts to Islam.
The clerics did not trust the rulers interests in unconventional forms of Islam such as Sufism, they did not like non-Muslims or women having influence over political issues and they protested any exercise of royal authority which contradicted Islamic Law.
Conservative Muslims fiercely protested the construction of an astronomical observatory located in Istanbul, and it was demolished by the sultan in 1580.
In 1742 the conservative clerics forced the closure of the printing press, viewing it as impious technology.

6. Religious Tensions
Shiite leaders were able to build a strong power base, at the expense of the other branches of Islam. They put pressure on the shahs to persecute Sunnis, non-Muslims and Sufis.

7. Economic Decline
The high cost of maintaining an expensive military and administration helped to bring about economic decline in the Islamic empires.
Since expansion of the empire slowed, so did the ability to attain fresh resources extracted from newly conquered lands. They now faced the problem of being unable to finance their institutions.
Long, costly and unproductive wars in various regions exhausted the treasuries of the Islamic empires without making new resources available to them.
Lack of strong currency led to Janissary revolts when the government tried to pay them in debased coinage.

8. Economic Concerns
To garner new revenue, the officials raised taxes, sold public offices, accepted bribes and in some cases resorted to extortion. These methods only resulted in short-term cash and did long-term economic damage.
Trade among other nations was one sided. The governments viewed foreign trade as just another way to bring in revenue. They did not make any serious efforts to establish commercial stations abroad, like their western counterparts were successfully doing.

9. Military Decline
The Ottomans did not seek to actively improve their military technologies, causing them to fall far behind the rapidly advancing Europeans.
None of the empires had a large armaments industry, so they had to rely on foreign suppliers.
Although they were able to purchase European weapons and expertise, their arsenals became extremely outdated since they relied upon technologies that European peoples had already replaced.
The once strong and influential Ottoman navy was now closing its shipbuilding operations and ordering new military vessels from foreign shipyards.