Ottoman Empire: Adaptation and Decline

I. Introduction

II. Height of the Empire

A. Suleiman the Magnificent (ruled 1520-1566)

B. Rebuilding Constantinople

III. Sultans and Their Courts

A. Controlling the Factions

1. Warrior Elites

2. Janissaries

3. Islamic Religious and Legal Scholars

B. The Bureaucracy as Stabilizing Force

IV. The Issue of Ottoman Decline

A. Overexpansion of the Empire?

B. Example of Egypt

C. Built on Expansion

D. Leadership at the Center

V. External Challenges to Ottoman Power

A. Land Armies and artillery

B. Navy

1. Mediterranean Sea

2. Indian Ocean

C. Loss of Trade Revenues

D. Silver Influx and Inflation

VI. The Korprulu Reforms

VII. Conclusion

Key Terms

Suleiman the Magnificent

Topkapi Palace

Vizier

Janissaries

Siege of Vienna (1683)

Battle of Lepanto

Mamluks in Egypt

“Koprulu Reforms”

---

back to the syllabus.