Ottoman Empire Vocab

Flashcards for Ottoman Empire Final Vocab

Seventeenth-Century Crisis

A period in the Ottoman Empire shaped by internal and external struggles, including revolts, relations with Europe, and Russian expansion, which demonstrated Ottoman adaptation and survival.

İltizam / Malikâne

A tax farming system in the Ottoman Empire where individuals bid for the right to collect taxes, abolished in 1856 during the Tanzimat reforms, incentivizing tax collection and contributing to the rise of elites and land ownership.

Safavid dynasty

A major rival of the Ottomans, differing in religious views (Shia Islam vs. Sunni Islam), leading to conflicts like the Ottoman–Safavid War (1623–1639) over Mesopotamia, which the Ottomans won.

Ayans / Provincial elites

Nobles in the Ottoman Empire who gained influence from the Iltizam system and had local control, playing a part in the decentralization of the Ottoman Empire.

Sultanate of Women

A period where women close to the Sultans, such as wives, concubines, or the valide sultan, had significant political and social influence, marking the highest position a woman could achieve in the Ottoman Empire.

Mihrimah and Rüstem Pasha

The only daughter of Suleyman, married to Rüstem Pasha (Grand Vizier), who was part of the Sultanate of Women and influential in establishing alliances.

Köprülü dynasty

An elite family that produced 6 Grand Viziers, helping to centralize the Ottoman Government by emphasizing military power and suppressing rebellions, thereby strengthening the Sultan's authority.

al-Azm family

An influential Ayans family in Damascus, known for architectural feats like the Azm Palace, and for being patrons of the arts, building baths and schools.

Ali Bey al-Kabir

Rose from slavery to become governor of Egypt, challenged Ottoman authority by declaring Egypt independent, and capturing Mecca and Syria, but was eventually betrayed and killed.

Zahir al-Umar

An ally of Ali Bey due to their mutual desire for the downfall of Damascus, played a role in Egypt's rebellion and challenged Ottoman rule by capturing Sidon.

Edirne Event

An event where Osman II tried to dismantle the Janissaries, leading to a revolt and his assassination, showcasing the decentralization of the Ottoman Empire.

Katherine the Great

Queen of Russia and a rival of the Ottoman Empire during the Russian Expansion.

Osman II

Ottoman Sultan who tried to dismantle the Janissaries after a loss, leading to an uprising and his death, symbolizing the decentralization of the Ottoman Empire and the weakening of the Sultanate.

Capitulations

Privileges granted to Europeans, like merchants, by the Ottomans, demonstrating the Ottomans' growing economic dependence on Europe.

Thirty Years’ War

A war with religious roots that shaped the religious landscape of Europe, including Eastern Europe, and helped lay the groundwork for the modern nation state, inspiring Ottoman territories.

Siege of Vienna (1683)

An Ottoman attempt to take Vienna in 1683, led by Mustafa, that failed and marked the end of Ottoman expansion into Europe.

Port of Azov

A seaport crucial for trade and access to other regions, given to Russia by the Treaty of Kukuk Kaynarca, signifying Ottoman decline in the face of Russian Expansion.

Sheikh al-Islam

A title for prominent Islamic Scholars with the highest religious authority, serving as religious advisors to the Sultan and having the authority to create religious rulings.

Treaty of Passarowitz

A peace treaty between the Austrians and the Ottomans where the Ottomans gave up territory in the Balkans, capitulations were established, and the Ottomans gained the Morea, showcasing Ottoman decline and the end of Western Expansion.

The Tulip Era

A period in the Ottoman Empire characterized by peace, investment in arts and culture, and a trend toward Westernization, symbolized by the popularity of tulips among the elites.

Coffee Trade

An important cash crop in the Ottoman Empire, cultivated and distributed within the Empire, with Europe being one of the main importers, showcasing Ottoman and European economic relations.

Battle of Çeşme

A battle from the Ottoman-Russian War that resulted in a terrible defeat for the Ottomans, leading to the Treaty of Kucuk Kaynarca, cementing Russian dominance of the sea, and influencing Balkan rebellions.

The Eastern Question

Relates to the Ottomans' decline and its causes, including European relations, Balkan Uprisings, decentralization, and the rise of nationalism.

The Great Game

Refers to the competition between Russia and Britain for control of Central Asia during the 19th century, including regions within the Ottoman Empire.

Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca

A treaty between Russia and the Ottoman Empire that granted many Ottoman ports and sea access to the Russians, solidifying Russian trade and influence in the Balkans and undermining Ottoman control.

Algeria

A vassal state of the Ottoman Empire and a central location for pirating.

Mehmet Ali / Muhammad ‘Ali

Governor and ruler of Egypt who sought independence.

First Serbian Uprising

A revolt in the early 19th century in Serbia against the Ottoman Empire, supported by Russia.

Greek Revolution

A revolution that resulted in the independence of Greece, driven by growing nationalism and supported by Western Europe and Russia, adding to the instability of the Ottoman Empire.

Karađorđe Petrović

A leader of the Serbian uprisings who was killed.

Theodoros Kolokotronis

A general and one of the leading figures of the Greek Revolution.

The Morea

A region in southern Greece that was a point of contention with the Ottoman Empire, especially during the Greek Revolution.

Ibrahim Pasha

First grand vizier appointed by Suleyman the Great, later executed.

Chios Massacres

Greek revolutionaries attempted to incite a revolt against the Ottomans on Chios, resulting in the Ottoman army killing and enslaving a large part of the Greek population.

“Turkiyyah” in Sudan

Term for the period of Egyptian and British Occupation of Sudan.

Hajj routes

Pilgrimage routes.

Sultan Mahmut II

Ottoman Sultan.