The Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire,was an empire that controlled much of Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa between the 1,299 - 1,923 CE

The Slave Market, Istanbul-Oil on panel, 1838 by Sir William Allan

## Ottoman Empire

### Precced by

* Eastern Roman Empire
* The Ilkhanate
* click to see the list

### Succeded by

* Republic of Turkey
* Kingdom of Greece
* British Empire
* British Mandate of Cyprus
* British Mandate of Palestine
* Kingdom of Romania
* Kingdom of Bulgaria
* Albanian Republic
* Kingdom of Yugoslavia
* Idrisid Emirate of Asir
* Hashemite Kingdom of Hejaz
* British Mandate of Mesopotamia
* French Algeria
* French Tunisia
* Italian Tripolitania
* Italian Cyrenaica
* Sheikhdom of Kuwait
* Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen
* Al-Mamlaka Al-Miṣreyya - Egypt

It was founded by the tribal leader Osman I. and ended under Ahmet Tevfik Pasha.

The Ottoman Empire page in wikipedia has more than enough of history ,names , events and politics for one to read.

This Page will not focus on these.

# Government

The Ottoman Empire developed a centralized government that had an effective control of its provinces, officials and inhabitants. Wealth and rank could be inherited but were just as often earned. Positions were perceived as titles, such as viziers and *aghas*.

The central government was composed of the Sultan and his own staff in what was known as "House of Osman". The House of Osman was advised by the Divan, composed of the Grand Vizier and the ruling class (nobles). The ruling class was called the *askeri*, including the noblemen, court officials, military officers and the religious class called the *ulema*.

Click Here to read the Full List of Titles and Duties.

The House of Osman by using this title system was able to control the entire empire, Civil and judicial administration was carried out under a separate parallel system of small municipal or rural units called kazas.

Kazas in turn were subdivided into nahiyas. The qadis came from the ulema and represent the legal authority of the sultan. The civil system was considered a check on the military system since beys could not carry out punishment without the sentence of a qadi. Likewise, qadis were not permitted to personally effect punishment. In the areas of *sharia* and *kanun* law, qadis were responsible directly to the sultan.

Townspeople, villagers and farmers formed a lower class called the rayah.

# Life in Ottoman Empire

Everyone even the Sultan of the House of Osman was bound to the Ottoman Law. (click here to read a copy of the ottoman law)

According to law power revolved around the administration of the rights to land, which gave a space for the local authority to develop the needs of the local millet. The jurisdictional complexity of the Ottoman Empire was aimed to permit the integration of culturally and religiously different groups. The Ottoman system had three court systems: one for Muslims, one for non-Muslims, involving appointed Jews and Christians ruling over their respective religious communities, and the "trade court".

however, These court categories were not, wholly exclusive... for instance, the Islamic courts, were the Empire's primary courts, could also be used to settle a trade conflict or disputes between litigants of differing religions, and Jews and Christians often went to them to obtain a more forceful ruling on an issue. The Ottoman state tended not to interfere with non-Muslim religious law systems, despite legally having a voice to do so through local governors. Both systems were taught at the Empire's law schools.

The Sultan of the House of Osman or the Sultans,Pashas,Aghas and other titled (noble) people did not ruled the empire as it believed today (2,023 CE) in the majority of countries in west.

The Ottoman Law was a religious law. the Sultans or the Sultanas who was in the top of the empire could not escape the law. and so a Agha or a non muslim rayah could win a case in the court.

## Slavery

However not everyone was a rayah , there was slavery in Ottoman Empire as it was during the days of Eastern Roman Empire also known as Byzantine Empire.

The main sources of slaves were wars and politically organized enslavement expeditions in the Caucasus, Europe, the Balkans, and Africa. the selling price of slaves decreased after large military operations.

Sexual slavery was a central part of the Ottoman slave system. The Sultanas were able to take all the female slaves if they wanted to for their Harems. the slaves under a Agha or a Pasha or a Sultan was given a last name and the title of Kul.

kul's was members of the Ottoman slave class, and they could achieve the status of Rayah and even higher status like Pasha. for many thousand of people to be a slave under a Sultan or a Pasha was a chance of Opportunity.

## Harem

Women played and held the most important roles within the Harem institution. inside the Harem Castles Sultanas had more power even from the Sultan of the House of Osman. men were serve the women and not the women the men. Harems were a safe ground for women and a chance to be chosen by a noble and powerfull man. however,not every women were into a harem. the Sultanas were choosing the women they wanted in their harems.

The Harem had the role to provide the sultan the best wife, a smart woman who could take the role of the Sulatana in her public duties and the imperial capital. The harem was the ultimate symbol of the sultan's power. His ownership of women, mostly slaves, was a sign of wealth, power, and sexual prowess.

The imperial harem also served as a parallel institution to the sultan's household of male servants. The women were provided with an education roughly equal to with that provided to male pages. At the end of their respective educations, the men and women would be married off to one another and "graduated" from the palace to occupy administrative posts in the empire's provinces. The valide sultan (the sultan’s mother) held power over all the harem's and the Sultana's. She was at the top of the female hierarchy. Within the harem, the *valide sultan* and the sultan's favorite concubine or concubines were more effectively able to create factional support for themselves or their sons, creating a bridge between the palace and the outside world. Harem politics revolved around the establishment of matrilineal legacies and finding ways to garner alliances and support from the greater Ottoman world outside of the harem walls.

# Magic and Science

Magic was not hunted or banned in the empire like it was in the west.

Magic was known as Karamat , as the ability "to perform extraordinary acts" (aka miracles) which is given by God only to those with great "piety and abstinence"

During its 600-year existence, the Ottoman Empire made significant advances in science and technology, in a wide range of fields including mathematics, astronomy and medicine.

Scholars of history and religion have linked several magical practises in education system as subject to God’s will.

Since the first days of the empire in 1,299 CE magic was allowed to be used. but that changed during The Serbian Revolution after the death of Black George by the use of magic. Since the end of July of 1,817 CE, Magic began to be hunted in ottoman empire , to the point that it was vanished in just 10 years and only the brown people was using it.

Magic and science was very important discipline in the Ottoman Empire.

# Fall

Ottoman Empire was ended after the Occupation of Istanbul by British, French, Italian, and Greek forces,

The War ended in with The Treaty of Lausanne of 24 July 1,923 CE led to the international recognition of the sovereignty of the newly formed Republic of Turkey.

as for Magic... it is still used today (2,023) by some of people in the entire old area of the Ottoman Empire.

Magic and Culture is what unites the people from Serbia to Armenia and from Egypt to Ukraine.