Ottos otta be remembered!
How it all began:
A new group of Turks began to build power in the Northwest corner of the Anatolian Peninsula in the late thirteenth century. The Turks were led by their good ol' leader, Osman. The Ottoman dynasty began in the early fourteenth century as the Osman Turks expanded.
So, you're probably wondering.. How did they come to rule such an area?
Well, there are many reasons. Though, some of the most beneficial aspects were their strong army and gunpowder warfare. The Ottomans produced an elite fighting force called of guards called janissaries.
The Janissaries were hand picked from the Anatolia and Balkan peninsula at about age six. Can you imagine? I was still playing with my hot wheels when I was that age. The Janissaries would protect the Ottoman Sultan like bodyguards.
As for the gunpowder, the Otto's used massive cannons, under the rule of Mehmed II, to lay siege to Constantinople. The Ottoman Empire is often labeled a "gunpowder empire." This label comes from the empire's success with their mastery of the new technology of firearms.
"What problems would such a great empire face during their rule?" You ask?
It all started after the death of Suleyman the Magnificent, the man who brought the empire to its high point. The sultans, heads of the Ottoman system who were the supreme authority in both political and military rule, became less involved with the government; they allowed their ministers to exercise more power. Along with the decline of the training of officials, member of the elite soon formed a privileged group that only sought wealth and power. The central bureaucracy lost its links with rural areas, local officials grew corrupt, and taxes rose. Constant wars were ongoing and to put it in better words, it was a MESS.
Well, there are many reasons. Though, some of the most beneficial aspects were their strong army and gunpowder warfare. The Ottomans produced an elite fighting force called of guards called janissaries.
The Janissaries were hand picked from the Anatolia and Balkan peninsula at about age six. Can you imagine? I was still playing with my hot wheels when I was that age. The Janissaries would protect the Ottoman Sultan like bodyguards.
As for the gunpowder, the Otto's used massive cannons, under the rule of Mehmed II, to lay siege to Constantinople. The Ottoman Empire is often labeled a "gunpowder empire." This label comes from the empire's success with their mastery of the new technology of firearms.
"What problems would such a great empire face during their rule?" You ask?
It all started after the death of Suleyman the Magnificent, the man who brought the empire to its high point. The sultans, heads of the Ottoman system who were the supreme authority in both political and military rule, became less involved with the government; they allowed their ministers to exercise more power. Along with the decline of the training of officials, member of the elite soon formed a privileged group that only sought wealth and power. The central bureaucracy lost its links with rural areas, local officials grew corrupt, and taxes rose. Constant wars were ongoing and to put it in better words, it was a MESS.