Civilizations in Crisis: The Ottomans, Islamic Heartlands & Qing China

Jannisaries

A member of Turkish soldiers forming the Sultan's guards between the 14th and 19th centuries. They were enslaved and conquered from educated Christian territories, converted to Islam and trained for the purpose of serving the Sultan.

Ayan

Class of wealthy people who held authority over towns and districts under Ottoman / Abbasid rule. They were referred to as elites, and resided in the cities or countryside and emerged during early Abbasid rule.

Sultan Selim III

Sultan of the Ottoman empire from 1789 - 1807. He was considered an enlightened ruler and was imprisoned by the Janissaries. He was the first to institute modern reforms and make changes to the army and navy. He also attempted to set up administrative structures as a means of increasing and enhancing state power. He was the last effort to reform the empire.

Ulama

Muslim religious scholars and chief religious authorities. Often served as teachers, judges and preachers. They were trained in Islamic law and made to interpret Islamic sciences, doctrines, and laws. Their purpose was to uphold Islamic faith and maintain spiritual and intellectual history within the community.

Wahabbis

A member of a strictly orthodox Sunni Muslim sect from Saudi Arabia. They believe in the purification of the religion, reject Islamic theology and call for strict adherence and interpretation of the Koran and Hadiths.

Sultan Mahmud II

Sultan of the Ottoman empire. He instituted extensive administrative, military and fiscal reforms. He destroyed the power of the janissaries and their allies. He was a trailblazer with the Tanzimat reforms within the Ottoman empire and his work was carried out by his sons.

Young Turks / The Ottoman Society for Union and Progress

Someone eager for radical reform under the Ottoman empire and carried out the revolution of 1908 and forcefully got rid of the sultan Abdul Hamid II. Favored the replacement of the absolute monarchy during the Ottoman empire to a constitutional monarchy.

The Tanzimat Reforms

Sought to establish legal and social equality for all Ottoman citizens. Inspired by Western culture, it wanted to modernize the Ottoman empire. Included the introduction of a constitution, educational systems, railways and various extreme legal reforms.

Sultan Abdul Hamid

The last sultan of the Ottoman empire to exert effective control over the state. First proclaimed a new constitution, but then threw away this constitution and disbanded the parliament - (wanted a return to despotic absolutism), and restricted civil liberties. He was eventually overthrown by a coup. He was anti - reform and advocated for a traditional Ottoman lifestyle.

Fez

Tarboosh, a usually red hat with a black tassel on top. It was brimless and made of felt in the shape of a truncated cone. It was worn by Christians and morally Muslims in the Ottoman - Balkan area.

Turkification

The policies and attitudes that emphasize Turkish policies, culture, and language. This ideology was promoted by the Young Turks and Turkish nationalists. This was a process of cultural change designed to make all citizens within the empire feel apart of the culture, heritage and society.

Congress of Berlin

A diplomatic conference to reorganize the states within the Balkan peninsula after the Russo - Turkish war where the Russians won against the Ottomans. Representatives from Germany, Russia, Hungary, Britain, France, and Italy all met together and this led to greater nationalism within these countries. (1878)

Russo - Turkish War

A conflict between the Ottoman Empire and a coalition led by the Russian empire including Romania, Serbia and Montenegro. Conflict arose from a rise of nationalism within this Balkan area and the Russians wanted to recover its territorial losses, establishing themselves in the Black Sea. The goal as well was to free the Balkan nations from the Ottoman Empire.

Mural

A large wall painting applied directly to the wall or the surface of a ceiling.

Mamluks

A slave soldier who was a member of an army established during the Abbasid era. They were Turkish slave soldiers and won political control of Muslim states during the Middle Ages. Mamluk generals used their power to establish and rule over Egypt and Syria.