Ottomans Quiz 1

Gunpowder empires

Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires. Known for being early adopters of gunpowder weaponry.

Key characteristics of the gunpowder empires

All Muslim, expansionist states, multi-religious and multi-cultural

Gunpowder empires government

Centralized bureaucracies were very organized and sophisticated.

Ottoman empire dates

1300 to 1922

Sultan

The leader of the Ottoman empire who had absolute religious and political authority.

Ottoman Achievements

Global trade routes, established regional stability + arts, sciences, and culture

Conquering of Constantinople date

1453

Mehmet II

The sultan who conquered Constantinople.

Decline of Ottoman empire

Could not capture Vienna in 1683, led to end of Ottoman expansion and beginning of slow decline because Ottoman empire exhausted resources without more land.

Janissary

Christian boys converted to Islam who trained to serve the empire. They provided the empire with a continuous supply of loyal recruits in the military and, later, the government.

Suleiman the Magnificent/Lawgiver

Sultan of the Ottoman empire who led the Ottomans to their height of military achievement and culture.

Suleiman Achievements

Codified Ottoman law, built schools for Muslim boys, and was a patron of the arts and culture.

Hagia Sophia

Early Christian church turned mosque.

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

The first Western person to visit the Sultan’s harem and share the experience of it. She also brought the idea of antibodies of smallpox to Britain and West Europe. People thought she was crazy because of that.

Ottoman Government Characteristics

Very centralized- all decisions made in one place and supervised by the sultan. Also had 3 divisions: Imperial harem, religious bureaucracy (the Sharia) and the Divan/Sultan’s council.

Imperial Harem

Leader: Queen Mother (Sultan’s mom)

A place where the concubines (many of them slaves) and wives of the Sultan resided. No man was allowed in.

Religious Bureaucracy

Leader: Shaykh ul-Islam

Responsibilities:

• supervise Sharia law (Muslim law)

• gives religious practice guidelines

• upkeep of mosques

• administration of religious charities

Divan/Sultan’s Council

Leader: Grand Vizier

Responsibilities:

• military matters

• taxes

• diplomacy

• trade

• supervise sultan’s court

Millet System

Jewish and Christian communities that were allowed to run their own civil, religious and cultural affairs. Their rights were limited, though, and were taxed more heavily.

Muhammad Dates

570-632 CE

Prophet Muhammad

Was in a cave, got message from Angel Gabriel that was the Koran. Muhammad the last prophet God sent. Islam spread after his death.

Shahadah

one of the 5 pillars, “there is no god but God.”

Salat

5 pillars, prayers 5 times a day facing Mecca.

Sawm

5 pillars, fasting.

Zakat

5 pillars, 2.5% of total income goes to poor people.

Hajj

5 pillars, pilgrimage to those who can.

Sunni

Belived that the next caliph should be the most competent successor.

Shia

Believed that the next caliph should have blood relations to Prophet Muhammad.

Sharia

Muslim law, not completely codified