Ottoman Empire

Sublime Ottoman State Ottoman Empire Osmanlı İmparatorluğu دولت عالیه عثمانیه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye
← 1299–1923 →
Flag Coat of arms
Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet ("The Eternal State")
Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem
Borders in 1609, see: list of territories
Capital	Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–1365) Edirne (1365–1453) Constantinople (1453–1922)
Government	Monarchy
Sultans
- 1281–1326 (first)	Osman I
- 1918–22 (last)	Mehmed VI
Grand Viziers
- 1320–31 (first)	Alaeddin Pasha
- 1920–22 (last)	Ahmed Tevfik Pasha
History
- Founded	1299
- Interregnum	1402–1413
- 1. Constitutional	1876-1878
- 2. Constitutional	1908-1918
- Succeeded	July 24, 1923
Area
- 1680	5,500,000 km2 (2,123,562 sq mi)
Population
- 1856 est.	35,350,000
- 1906 est.	20,884,000
- 1914 est.	18,520,000
- 1919 est.	14,629,000
Currency	Akçe, Kuruş, Lira
Timeline of the Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire lasted from 1299 to 1923. It was centered in Turkey and controlled the eastern lands around the Mediterranean Sea. The empire was created by Ottoman Turks and was most powerful from around 1400 to 1600, when it controlled trade and politics in Europe, Asia, and Africa. In later years, the Ottoman Empire began to weaken. In the latter part of the 19th century became known as "the sick man of Europe" .

In the early years of the empire, shahzadahs, who were the sons of the Sultan, used to be sent to Sanjaks (different parts of the empire) to have experience and to later govern. This was because they were candidates for the Sultanate and Caliphate. After Ahmed this system changed. In the new system the Sultan would keep all his male relatives locked in a small apartment called a kafes where they would never be able to see the outside world, and would therefore be unable to take power from him. Often, a new Sultan would simply have his male relatives killed, a simpler solution since it removed competition for the Sultanate and prevented rebel movements. However, the women in his harem often sought greater status and influence, and the Sultan's mother might become the most powerful political force in the Empire, because each mother in the harem would try to make her own son the next Sultan, since they knew he would probably be killed if he was not. The Sultans quickly lost their ability to govern far-away territories well, and all the peoples living in the Empire were soon governing themselves under their own laws. By its end, the Ottoman Empire grew so worn out and corrupt that it was ready to collapse.

Capital of Ottoman empire

Bursa was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. Edirne in Thrace became the capital city of the Ottoman Empire in 1365, until Istanbul was conquest by the Turks and became the empire's final capital.

Vassal states of Ottoman empire

Transylvania, Moldavia, Wallachia, (Romania), Caucasus (Georgia, Dagestan, Chechnya, Stavropol Krai) was only Vassal states of Ottoman empire. These states received a degree of independence and autonomy from the Ottoman Empire. The price and rules for this autonomy was more money (taxation) paid to the Sultan.

Other websites

Find more information on Ottoman Empire by searching one of Wikipedia's sister projects:

Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Quotations from Wikiquote
Source texts from Wikisource
Images and media from Commons
News stories from Wikinews

• The Ottoman Empire: A Chronogical Outline
• The Ottoman Empire: The Eternal State
• Ottoman Website
• The Ottoman Empire Map of Europe in year 1600 with a detailed view of the Empire.
• History of Turkish Empire — Gives detailed timetable.
• World Civilizations: The Ottomans — a comprehensive site that covers much about the Ottoman state and government
• Capitals of Ottoman Empire — covers the different Ottoman capitals
• Turkish Oral Narrative
• Information about Ottomans
• Forced population transfers in early Ottoman imperial policy - covers the period 1300-1600