Where was the Ottoman Empire? How was the Ottoman Empire born and how did it die? The beginning of the beginnings: the Sultanate of the Ottoman Empire - the history of the emergence

Since inception Ottoman Empire the state was continuously ruled by the descendants of Osman in the male line. But despite the fecundity of the dynasty, there were those who ended their lives childless.

The founder of the dynasty Osman Gazi (ruled 1299-1326) was the father of 7 sons and 1 daughter.

The second ruler was the son of Osman Orkhan Gazi (pr.1326-59) had 5 sons and 1 daughter.

God did not deprive Murad 1 Khyudavendigyur of offspring (son of Orkhan, pr. 1359-89) - 4 sons and 2 daughters.

The famous Bayazid the Lightning (son of Murad 1, born in 1389-1402) was the father of 7 sons and 1 daughter.

Bayazid's son Mehmet 1 (1413-21) left behind 5 sons and 2 daughters.

Murad 2 the Great (son of Mehmet 1, pr. 1421-51) - 6 sons and 2 daughters.

The conqueror of Constantinople Fatih Mehmet 2 (r. 1451-1481) was the father of 4 sons and 1 daughter.

Bayazid 2 (son of Mehmet 2, born 1481-1512) - 8 sons and 5 daughters.

The first Caliph from the Ottoman dynasty, Yavuz Sultan Selim-Selim the Terrible (prob. 1512-20) had only one son and 4 daughters.

2.

The famous Suleiman the Magnificent (Legislator), the husband of the no less famous Roxola (Hyurrem Sultan, 4 sons, 1 daughter), was the father of 8 sons and 2 daughters from 4 wives. He reigned so long (1520-1566) that he outlived almost all of his children. The eldest son Mustafa (Makhidervan) and the 4th son Bayazid (Roksolana) were strangled on the orders of Suleiman 1 on charges of plotting against their father.

The third son of Suleiman and the second son of Roksolana Selim 2 (Red Selim or Selim the Drunkard, pr.1566-1574) had 8 sons and 2 daughters from 2 wives. Despite his love for wine, he was able to expand his holdings from 14.892.000 km2 to 15.162.000 km2.

And now let's welcome the record holder - Murad 3 (project 1574-1595). He had one official wife Safiye Sultan (Sofia Baffo, daughter of the ruler of Corfu, was kidnapped by pirates) and many concubines, from whom 22 sons and 4 daughters survived (they write that at the time of his death, the heir Mehmet 3 ordered to strangle all his pregnant wives). But despite the love for the weaker sex, he was able to expand his possessions to 24.534.242 km2.

Mehmet 3 (pr.1595-1603) was a champion in another part - on the night of his father's death, he ordered all his brothers and sisters to be strangled. In terms of fertility, he was much inferior to his father - only 3 sons from 2 wives

The eldest son of Mehmet 3 Ahmet 1 (pr.1603-1617, died of typhus at the age of 27), having ascended the throne, introduced a new dynastic law, according to which the eldest son of the deceased ruler became the ruler.

Mustafa1, who sat on the throne due to the infancy of his son Ahmet 1 (r. 1617-1623, d. fall into madness, and according to the fatwa of Sheikh-ul-Islam was removed from the throne.

Little-known facts from the life of the sultans ...

When they start talking about the Ottoman rulers, then people automatically have an image of formidable, cruel conquerors who carried out their free time in a harem among half-naked concubines. But everyone forgets that they were mere mortal people with their own shortcomings and hobbies...

OSMAN 1.

They describe that when he stood, his lowered hands reached his knees, based on this, it was believed that he had either very long arms or short legs. Another of his hallmark his character was that he never wore outerwear again. And not because he was a dude, he just liked to give his clothes to commoners. If someone looked at his caftan for a long time, he took it off and gave it to that person. Osman was very fond of listening to music before a meal, he was a good wrestler and skillfully wielded weapons. The Turks had a very interesting old custom - once a year, ordinary members of the tribe took everything that they liked in this house from the leader's house. Osman and his wife left the house empty-handed and opened the doors for their relatives.

ORHAN.

Orkhan's reign lasted 36 years. He owned 100 fortresses and spent all his time driving around them. He did not stay in any of them for more than one month. He was a big fan of Mevlana-Jalaleddin Rumi.

MURAD 1.

In European sources, a brilliant ruler, a tireless hunter, a very gallant knight and was a symbol of honesty. He was the first Ottoman ruler to create a private library. He was killed in the Battle of Kosovo.

BAEZIT 1.

For the ability to quickly cover long distances with his army, and to appear in front of the enemy at the most unexpected moment, he received the nickname Lightning. He was very fond of hunting and was an avid hunter, often participating in wrestling competitions. Historians also note his mastery of weapons and horsemanship. He was one of the first rulers to compose poetry. He was the first to besiege Constantinople, and more than once. He died in captivity with Timur.

MEHMET CHELEBI.

It is considered the revival of the Ottoman state as a result of the victory over the Timurils. When he was with him, he was called the wrestler Mhemet. During his reign, he introduced the custom to send gifts to Mecca and Medina every year, which was not abolished even in the most hard times up until the First World War. Every Friday evening he cooked food with his own money and distributed it to the poor. Like his father, he loved to hunt. While hunting for a boar, he fell off his horse and broke his hip bone, which is why he soon died.

And tell us how it happened that there are portraits, because Islam forbids images of a person.
Did you find Italian infidels to perpetuate yourself, the great ones?

Bayezid 1 Lightning, the 4th ruler ruled from 1389 to 1403. His father was Murat 1, and his mother was Bulgarian Maria, after the adoption of Islam Gulchichek Khatun.

- Mehmet 1 Celebi, 5th Sultan. His mother was also Bulgarian, Olga Khatun.
  1382-1421
  
  Murat 2 (1404-1451) was born from the marriage of Mehmet Celebi and the daughter of the ruler of the beylik Dulkadiroglu Emine Hatun. According to some unconfirmed sources, his mother was Veronica.
  
  Mehmet 2 the Conqueror (1432-1481)
  
  Son of Murat 2 and Hyum Khatun, daughter of a bey from the Jandaroglu clan. It was believed that his mother was Serbian Despina.
  
  Bayezid 2 was no exception either - his mother was also a Christian Cornelia (Albanian, Serbian or French). After the adoption of Islam, her name was Gulbahar Khatun. Father was Fatih Sultan Mehmet 2.
  
  SELIM 1.(1470-1520)
  
  Selim 1 or Yavuz Sultan Selim, the conqueror of Egypt, Baghdad, Damascus and Mecca, the 9th padish of the Ottoman state and the 74th Caliph was born from Bayezid 2nd and the daughter of an influential bey in western Anatolia from the Dulkadiroglu clan Gulbahar Khatun.
  
  SULEMAN 1 (1495-1566).
  
  Suleiman Kanuni was born on April 27, 1495. He became sultan when he was 25 years old. An uncompromising fighter against bribery, Suleiman won the favor of the people good deeds built schools. Suleiman Kanuni patronized poets, artists, architects, wrote poetry himself, and was considered a skilled blacksmith.
  
  Suleiman was not as bloodthirsty as his father, Selim I, but he loved conquest no less than his father. In addition, neither kinship nor merit saved him from his suspicion and cruelty.
  
  Suleiman personally led 13 campaigns. A significant part of the wealth received from military booty, tribute and taxes was spent by Suleiman I on the construction of palaces, mosques, caravanserais, and tombs.
  
  Also under him, laws (qanun-name) were drawn up on administrative unit and the position of individual provinces, on finances and forms of land tenure, the duties of the population and the attachment of peasants to the land, on the regulation of the military system.
  
  Suleiman Kanuni died on September 6, 1566 during the next campaign in Hungary - during the siege of the fortress of Szigetvar. He was buried in a mausoleum at the cemetery of the Suleymaniye Mosque along with his beloved wife Roksolana.
  
  10th Ottoman ruler and the 75th Caliph of Muslims, Suleman the Magnificent, also known for being the husband of Roksolana, was born from Selim 1 and a Polish Jewess Helga, later Khavza Sultan.
  
  Khavza Sultan.
  
  SELIM 2. (1524-1574)
  
  The son of the famous Roksolana (Hyurrem Sultan) Selim 2 ascended the throne after her death. Her real name was Alexandra Anastasia Lisovska, she was Suleiman's beloved wife.
  
  MURAT 3 (1546-1595).
  
  Born from Selim the 2nd and the Jewess Rachel (Nurbanu Sultan) Murat 3, was their eldest son and heir to the throne.
  
  MEHMET 3 (1566-1603).
  
  He ascended the throne in 1595 and ruled until his death. His mother was no exception either, she was also kidnapped and sold into the harem. She was the daughter of a wealthy Baffo family (Venice). She was taken prisoner while traveling on a ship when she was 12 years old. In the harem, the father of Mehmet III fell in love with Cecilia Baffo and married her, her name became Safiye Sultan.
  Palace intrigues of the wives of the padishahs
  
  Khyurem Sultan (Roksolana 1500-1558): thanks to her beauty and intelligence, she not only managed to attract the attention of Suleiman the Magnificent, but also became his beloved woman. Her struggle with Suleiman's first wife, Mahidervan, was the most famous intrigue of that time, such a struggle was not for life, but for death. Roksolana bypassed her in all respects and finally became his official wife. As her influence on the ruler increased, her influence in state affairs also increased. Soon she succeeded in deposing both the viziri-i-azam (prime minister) Ibrahim Pasha, who was married to Suleiman's sister. Per adultery he was executed. She married the next vizier and azam Rustem Pasha to her daughter and with the help of which she managed to discredit, by substituting letters, to accuse Suleiman's eldest son Shahzade Mustafa of hostile relations with the main enemies of the Iranians. For his intelligence and great abilities, Mustafa was predicted to be the next padishah, but on the orders of his father, he was strangled during a campaign against Iran.
  
  Over time, during the meetings, being in the secret department of Khyurem Sultan, she listened and shared her opinion with her husband after the advice. From the poems dedicated by Suleiman to Roksolana, it becomes obvious that his love for her was dearer to him than anything in the world.
  
  Nurbanu Sultan (1525-1587):
  
  At the age of 10, she was kidnapped by corsairs and sold at the famous market of Pera in Istanbul to slave traders. Merchants, noting her beauty and intelligence, sent her to the harem, where she managed to attract the attention of Khyurem Sultan, who sent her to Manisa for education. From there she returned a real beauty and managed to win the heart of her son Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan Selim 2, who soon married her. Poems written by Selim in her honor entered as excellent examples of lyrics. Selim was the youngest son, but as a result of the death of all his brothers, he becomes the sole heir to the throne, to which he ascended. Nurbanu became the only mistress of his heart and, accordingly, the harem. There were other women in Selim's life, but none of them could win his heart like Nurbanu. After the death of Selim (1574), her son Murat 3 became padishah, she becomes Valide Sultan (king-mother) and for a long time held the threads of government in her hands, despite the fact that this time her rival was the wife of Murat 3 Safiye Sultan.
  
  Safiye Sultan
  
  A life of intrigue became the subject of many novels after her death. Just like Nurbanu Sultan, she was kidnapped by corsairs and sold to a harem, where Nurbanu Sultan bought her for a lot of money for her son Murat 3.
  
  The son's ardent love for her shook the mother's influence over her son. Then Nurbanu Sultan begins to introduce other women into the life of the son, but the love for Safiye Sultan was unshakable. Soon after the death of her mother-in-law, she actually ruled the state.
  
  Kosem Sultan.
  
  Murad's mother 4 (1612-1640) Kosem Sultan became a widow when he was still small. In 1623, at the age of 11, he was enthroned and Kosem Sultan became regent under him. In fact, they ruled the state.
  
  As her son grew older, she faded into the shadows, but continued to influence her son until his death. Her other son, Ibrahim (1615-1648), was elevated to the throne. The beginning of his reign was the beginning of the struggle between Kosem Sultan and his wife Turhan Sultan. Both of these women sought to establish their influence in public affairs, but over time this struggle became so obvious that it served as the formation of opposing factions.
  
  As a result of this long struggle, Kosem Sultan was found strangled in her room, and her supporters were executed.
  
  Turhan Sultan (Hope)
  
  She was kidnapped in the steppes of Ukraine and donated to a harem. Soon she became the wife of Ibrahim, after whose death her young son Menmet 4 was placed on the throne. Although she became regent, her mother-in-law Kosem Sultan was not going to let go of the threads of government from her hands. But soon she was found strangled in her room, and her supporters were executed the next day. The regency of Turhan Sultan lasted 34 years and it was a record in the history of the Ottoman Empire.

Osman I Ghazi (1258-1326) ruled from 1281, founder of the Ottoman Empire in 1299

The first Turkish sultan, Osman I, at the age of 23, inherited vast territories in Phrygia from his father, Prince Ertogrul. He united the scattered Turkish tribes with the Muslims who fled from the Mongols, later they all became known as the Ottomans, and conquered a significant part of Byzantine state, having received access to the Black and Marmara Seas. In 1299 he founded an empire named after him. Capturing the Byzantine city of Yenisehir in 1301, Osman made it the capital of his empire. In 1326, he stormed the city of Bursa, which already under his son Orhan became the second capital of the empire.

The territory in Asia Minor, on which Turkey is located today, in ancient times was called Anatolia and was the cradle of many civilizations. Among them, one of the most developed was Byzantine Empire- Greco-Roman Orthodox state with its capital in Constantinople. Created in 1299 by Sultan Osman, the Ottoman Empire actively expanded its borders and seized neighboring lands. Gradually, many provinces of the weakening Byzantium came under his rule.

The reasons for the victories of Sultan Osman lay primarily in his ideology, he declared war on Christians and intended to seize their lands and enrich his subjects. Many Muslims flocked under his banner, including Turkic nomads and artisans who fled from the invasion of the Mongols, there were also non-Muslims. The Sultan welcomed everyone. He first formed an army of Janissaries - the future regular Turkish infantry, created from Christians, slaves and prisoners, later it was replenished with the children of Christians brought up in Islamic traditions.

The authority of Osman was so high that poems and songs began to be composed in his honor during his lifetime. Many the scholars of that time - dervishes - pointed to the prophetic meaning of his name, which, according to one source, meant "beating the bones", that is, a warrior who knows no barriers and knocks the enemy down, according to others - "vulture hawk", which feeds on the carrion of the slain. But in the west, Christians called him not Osman, but Ottoman (hence the word ottoman came from - a soft Turkish seat without a back), which simply meant "Ottoman Turk."

The wide offensive of Osman, his well-armed army, led to the fact that the Byzantine peasants, who were not protected by anyone, were forced to flee, abandoning their well-cultivated agricultural areas. And the Turks got pastures, vineyards, orchards. The tragedy of Byzantium was that its capital Constantinople in 1204 was captured by the knights-crusaders who were making the Fourth Crusade. The completely plundered city became the capital of the Latin Empire, which collapsed by 1261. At the same time, Byzantium was created again, but already weakened and unable to resist external invasion.

The Byzantines concentrated their efforts on creating a fleet, they wanted to stop the Turks at the sea, to prevent them from advancing deep into the mainland. But nothing could stop Osman. In 1301, his army inflicted a crushing defeat on the combined Byzantine troops near Nicaea (now Turkish city Iznik). In 1304, the Sultan captured the city of Ephesus on the Aegean Sea - the center of early Christianity, in which, according to legend, the Apostle Paul lived, John wrote the Gospel. The Turks sought to Constantinople, to the Bosporus.

The last conquest of Osman was the Byzantine city of Bursa. This victory was very important - it opened the way to Constantinople. The sultan, who was dying, ordered his subjects to turn Bursa into the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Osman did not live to see the fall of Constantinople. But other sultans continued his work and created the great Ottoman Empire, which lasted until 1922.

7 929

Becoming the ruler mountainous area, Osman in 1289 received the title of Bey from the Seljuk Sultan. Having come to power, Osman immediately went to conquer the Byzantine lands and made the first captured Byzantine town of Melangia his residence.

Osman was born in a small mountainous place in the Seljuk Sultanate. Osman's father, Ertogrul, received neighboring Byzantine lands from Sultan Ala-ad-Din. The Turkic tribe, to which Osman belonged, considered the seizure of neighboring territories to be a sacred affair.

After the escape of the overthrown Seljuk Sultan in 1299, Osman created independent state based on your own beylik. During the first years of the XIV century. the founder of the Ottoman Empire managed to significantly expand the territory of the new state and moved his headquarters to the fortress city of Epishehir. Immediately after this, the Ottoman army began to raid the Byzantine cities located on Black Sea coast, and to the Byzantine regions in the region of the Dardanelles.

The Ottoman dynasty was continued by the son of Osman Orhan, who began his military career from the successful capture of Bursa, a powerful fortress in Asia Minor. Orhan declared the prosperous fortified city the capital of the state and ordered the minting of the first coin of the Ottoman Empire, the silver akce, to begin. In 1337, the Turks won several brilliant victories and occupied territories as far as the Bosporus, making the conquered Ismit the main shipyard of the state. At the same time, Orkhan annexed the neighboring Turkish lands, and by 1354 the northwestern part of Asia Minor was under his rule until eastern shores the Dardanelles, part of its European coast, including the city of Galliopolis, and Ankara, recaptured from the Mongols.

Orhan's son Murad I became the third ruler of the Ottoman Empire, who added territories near Ankara to its possessions and set off on a military campaign in Europe.

Murad was the first sultan of the Ottoman dynasty and a true champion of Islam. In the cities of the country began to build the first Turkish history schools.

After the very first victories in Europe (the conquest of Thrace and Plovdiv), a stream of Turkic settlers poured onto the European coast.

The sultans fastened the decrees-firmans with their own imperial monogram - the tughra. The complex oriental pattern included the Sultan's name, his father's name, title, motto, and the epithet "always victorious."

New conquests

Murad paid much attention to the improvement and strengthening of the army. For the first time in history, a professional army was created. In 1336, the ruler formed a Janissary corps, which later turned into the personal guard of the Sultan. In addition to the Janissaries was created mounted army sipahis, and as a result of these fundamental changes Turkish army became not only numerous, but also unusually disciplined and powerful.

In 1371, on the Maritsa River, the Turks defeated the united army of the South European states and captured Bulgaria and part of Serbia.

The next brilliant victory was won by the Turks in 1389, when the Janissaries first took firearms. That year there was historical battle on the Kossovo field, when, having defeated the crusaders, the Ottoman Turks annexed a significant part of the Balkans to their lands.

Murad's son Bayazid continued his father's policy in everything, but unlike him, he was distinguished by cruelty and indulged in debauchery. Bayazid completed the defeat of Serbia and turned it into a vassal of the Ottoman Empire, becoming the absolute master in the Balkans.

For the rapid movement of the army and energetic actions, Sultan Bayazid received the nickname Ilderim (Lightning). During the lightning campaign in 1389-1390. he subjugated Anatolia, after which the Turks took possession of almost the entire territory of Asia Minor.

Bayazid had to fight simultaneously on two fronts - with the Byzantines and the Crusaders. On September 25, 1396, the Turkish army defeated a huge army of crusaders, having received all the Bulgarian lands into submission. On the side of the Turks, according to the description of contemporaries, more than 100,000 people fought. Many noble European crusaders were captured, later they were ransomed for a lot of money. To the capital Ottoman Sultan caravans of beasts of burden stretched out with gifts from Emperor Charles VI of France: gold and silver coins, silk fabrics, carpets from Arras with paintings from the life of Alexander the Great woven on them, hunting falcons from Norway and many others. True, Bayazid did not make further trips to Europe, distracted by the eastern danger from the Mongols.

After the unsuccessful siege of Constantinople in 1400, the Turks had to fight the Tatar army of Timur. On July 25, 1402, one of the greatest battles The Middle Ages, during which an army of Turks (about 150,000 people) and an army of Tatars (about 200,000 people) met near Ankara. Timur's army, in addition to well-trained soldiers, was armed with more than 30 war elephants - a fairly powerful weapon in the offensive. The Janissaries, showing extraordinary courage and strength, were nevertheless defeated, and Bayazid was captured. Timur's army plundered the entire Ottoman Empire, exterminated or captured thousands of people, burned most beautiful cities and settlements.

Muhammad I ruled the empire from 1413 to 1421. Throughout his reign, Muhammad was with Byzantium in good relations, turning his main attention to the situation in Asia Minor and making the first campaign in the history of the Turks to Venice, which ended in failure.

Murad II, the son of Muhammad I, ascended the throne in 1421. He was a just and energetic ruler, who devoted a lot of time to the development of arts and urban planning. Murad, coping with internal strife, made a successful campaign, capturing the Byzantine city of Thessalonica. No less successful were the battles of the Turks against the Serbian, Hungarian and Albanian armies. In 1448, after the victory of Murad over the united army of the crusaders, the fate of all the peoples of the Balkans was sealed - Turkish rule hung over them for several centuries.

Before the beginning historical battle in 1448 between the united European army and the Turks carried a letter on the tip of a spear through the ranks of the Ottoman army with an armistice agreement violated in again. Thus, the Ottomans showed that peace treaties they are not interested, only battles and only offensive.

From 1444 to 1446, the Turkish sultan Muhammad II, son of Murad II, ruled the empire.

The rule of this sultan for 30 years turned the state into world empire. Starting his reign with the already traditional execution of relatives who potentially claimed the throne, the ambitious young man showed his strength. Muhammad, nicknamed the Conqueror, became a tough and even cruel ruler, but at the same time had excellent education and spoke four languages. The Sultan invited scholars and poets from Greece and Italy to his court, allocated a lot of funds for the construction of new buildings and the development of art. The sultan set the conquest of Constantinople as his main task, and at the same time he treated its implementation very thoroughly. Opposite the Byzantine capital, in March 1452, the fortress of Rumelihisar was founded, in which the newest cannons were installed and a strong garrison was placed.

As a result, Constantinople was cut off from the Black Sea region, with which it was connected by trade. In the spring of 1453, a huge land army Turks and a powerful fleet. The first assault on the city was unsuccessful, but the Sultan ordered not to retreat and to organize the preparation of a new assault. After being dragged into the Bay of Constantinople along the decking of some of the ships specially built over the iron barrage chains, the city found itself in the ring of Turkish troops. Battles went on daily, but the Greek defenders of the city showed examples of courage and perseverance.

The siege was not strong point Ottoman army, and the Turks won only due to the careful encirclement of the city, the numerical superiority of forces by approximately 3.5 times and due to the presence siege weapons, cannons and powerful mortars with cores weighing 30 kg each. Before the main assault on Constantinople, Muhammad invited the inhabitants to surrender, promising to spare them, but they, to his great amazement, refused.

The general assault was launched on May 29, 1453, and selected Janissaries, supported by artillery, broke into the gates of Constantinople. For 3 days, the Turks plundered the city and killed Christians, and the Hagia Sophia was later turned into a mosque. Turkey has become a real world power, proclaiming the ancient city as its capital.

In subsequent years, Muhammad made the conquered Serbia his province, conquered Moldova, Bosnia, a little later - Albania and captured all of Greece. At the same time, the Turkish sultan conquered vast territories in Asia Minor and became the ruler of the entire Asia Minor peninsula. But he did not stop there: in 1475, the Turks captured many Crimean cities and the city of Tanu at the mouth of the Don on the Sea of Azov. Crimean Khan officially recognized the authority of the Ottoman Empire. Following this, the territories of Safavid Iran were conquered, and in 1516 Syria, Egypt and Hijaz with Medina and Mecca were under the rule of the Sultan.

AT early XVI in. the conquering campaigns of the empire were directed to the east, south and west. In the east, Selim I the Terrible defeated the Safavids and annexed to his state eastern part Anatolia and Azerbaijan. In the south, the Ottomans crushed the warlike Mamluks and took control of trade routes along the coast of the Red Sea Indian Ocean, in North Africa reached Morocco. In the west, Suleiman the Magnificent in the 1520s. captured Belgrade, Rhodes, Hungarian lands.

At the peak of power

The Ottoman Empire entered the stage the heyday at the very end of the fifteenth century. under Sultan Selim I and his successor Suleiman the Magnificent, who achieved a significant expansion of territories and established a reliable centralized government of the country. The reign of Suleiman went down in history as the "golden age" of the Ottoman Empire.

Starting from the first years XVI century, the empire of the Turks turned into the most powerful power of the Old World. Contemporaries who visited the lands of the empire, in their notes and memoirs, enthusiastically described the wealth and luxury of this country.

Suleiman the Magnificent
Sultan Suleiman is the legendary ruler of the Ottoman Empire. During his reign (1520-1566), the huge power became even larger, the cities became more beautiful, the palaces became more luxurious. Suleiman (Fig. 9) also went down in history under the nickname of the Legislator.

Having become a sultan at the age of 25, Suleiman significantly expanded the borders of the state, capturing Rhodes in 1522, Mesopotamia in 1534, and Hungary in 1541.

The ruler of the Ottoman Empire was traditionally called Sultan, a title of Arabic origin. Counts correct use terms such as "Shah", "Padishah", "Khan", "Caesar", which came from different peoples under Turkish rule.

Suleiman contributed to the cultural prosperity of the country; under him, beautiful mosques and luxurious palaces were built in many cities of the empire. famous emperor was a good poet, leaving his writings under the pseudonym Muhibbi (In love with God). During the reign of Suleiman, the wonderful Turkish poet Fuzuli lived and worked in Baghdad, who wrote the poem "Leyla and Majun". The nickname Sultan Among the Poets was given to Mahmoud Abd al-Baqi, who served at the court of Suleiman, who reflected in his poems the life of the high society of the state.

The Sultan entered into a legal marriage with the legendary Roksolana, nicknamed the Laughing One, one of the slaves Slavic origin in the harem. Such an act was at that time and according to Sharia an exceptional phenomenon. Roksolana gave birth to the Sultan's heir, the future Emperor Suleiman II, and devoted a lot of time to patronage. Big influence the wife of the Sultan also possessed him in diplomatic affairs, especially in relations with Western countries.

In order to leave a memory of himself in stone, Suleiman invited the famous architect Sinan to create mosques in Istanbul. The emperor's associates also erected large religious buildings with the help of a famous architect, as a result of which the capital was noticeably transformed.

Harems
Harems with several wives and concubines, allowed by Islam, could only afford wealthy people. Sultan's harems became an integral part of the empire, its calling card.

Harems, in addition to the sultans, were possessed by viziers, beys, emirs. The vast majority of the population of the empire had one wife, as it should be in the entire Christian world. Islam officially allowed a Muslim to have four wives and several slaves.

The Sultan's harem, which gave rise to many legends and traditions, was in fact complex organization with strict internal rules. This system was run by the Sultan's mother, the Valide Sultan. Her main assistants were eunuchs and slaves. It is clear that the life and power of the ruler of the Sultan directly depended on the fate of her high-ranking son.

The harem was inhabited by girls captured during wars or acquired in slave markets. Regardless of their nationality and religion, before entering the harem, all the girls became Muslim women and studied the traditional Islamic arts - embroidery, singing, conversation, music, dance, and literature.

Being in a harem long time, its inhabitants passed several steps and titles. At first they were called jariye (beginners), then pretty soon they were renamed shagart (apprentices), over time they became gedikli (companions) and usta (craftswomen).

There were isolated cases in history when the Sultan recognized the concubine as his lawful wife. This happened more often when the concubine gave birth to the ruler of the long-awaited son-heir. A striking example- Suleiman the Magnificent, who married Roksolana.

Only girls who reached the stage of craftswomen could gain the attention of the Sultan. From among them, the ruler chose his permanent mistresses, favorites and concubines. Many representatives of the harem, who became the mistresses of the Sultan, were awarded their own housing, jewelry and even slaves.

Legal marriage was not provided for by Sharia, but the Sultan chose four wives from all the inhabitants of the harem, who were in a privileged position. Of these, the main one became the one who gave birth to the Sultan's son.

After the death of the Sultan, all his wives and concubines were sent to the Old Palace, located outside the city. New ruler states could allow retired beauties to marry or go to his harem.

The Ottoman Empire arose in 1299 in the northwest of Asia Minor and lasted 624 years, having managed to conquer many peoples and become one of the greatest powers in the history of mankind.

From the spot to the quarry

The position of the Turks in late XIII century looked unpromising, if only because of the presence of Byzantium and Persia in the neighborhood. Plus the sultans of Konya (the capital of Lycaonia - regions in Asia Minor), depending on which, albeit formally, the Turks were.

However, all this did not prevent Osman (1288-1326) from expanding and strengthening his young state. By the way, by the name of their first sultan, the Turks began to be called the Ottomans.
Osman was actively involved in the development internal culture and caring for others. Therefore, many Greek cities, who were in Asia Minor, preferred to voluntarily recognize his supremacy. Thus, they "killed two birds with one stone": they both received protection and preserved their traditions.
Osman's son Orkhan I (1326-1359) brilliantly continued his father's work. Having announced that he was going to unite all the faithful under his rule, the Sultan went to conquer not the countries of the East, which would be logical, but western lands. And Byzantium was the first to stand in his way.

By this time, the empire was in decline, which the Turkish Sultan took advantage of. Like a cold-blooded butcher, he "chopped off" area after area from the Byzantine "body". Soon the entire northwestern part of Asia Minor came under the rule of the Turks. They also established themselves on the European coast of the Aegean and Marmara Seas, as well as the Dardanelles. And the territory of Byzantium was reduced to Constantinople and its environs.
Subsequent sultans continued the expansion of Eastern Europe, where they successfully fought against Serbia and Macedonia. And Bayazet (1389 -1402) "marked" the defeat of the Christian army, which in Crusade King Sigismund of Hungary led against the Turks.

From defeat to triumph

Under the same Bayazet, one of the most severe lesions Ottoman army. The Sultan personally opposed Timur's army and in the Battle of Ankara (1402) he was defeated, and he himself was taken prisoner, where he died.
The heirs by hook or by crook tried to ascend the throne. The state was on the verge of collapse due to internal unrest. Only under Murad II (1421-1451) did the situation stabilize, and the Turks were able to regain control of the lost Greek cities and conquer part of Albania. The Sultan dreamed of finally cracking down on Byzantium, but did not have time. His son, Mehmed II (1451-1481), was destined to become the killer of the Orthodox empire.

On May 29, 1453, the hour of X came for Byzantium. The Turks besieged Constantinople for two months. Such a short time was enough to break the inhabitants of the city. Instead of everyone taking up arms, the townspeople simply prayed to God for help, not leaving churches for days. The last Emperor Constantine Palaiologos asked for help from the Pope, but he demanded in return the unification of churches. Konstantin refused.

Perhaps the city would have held out even if not for the betrayal. One of the officials agreed to the bribe and opened the gate. He did not take into account one important fact- at Turkish Sultan In addition to the female harem, there was also a male one. That's where the comely son of a traitor got.
The city fell. The civilized world has stopped. Now all the states of both Europe and Asia have realized that the time has come for a new superpower - the Ottoman Empire.

European campaigns and confrontations with Russia

The Turks did not think to stop there. After the death of Byzantium, no one blocked their way to rich and unfaithful Europe, even conditionally.
Soon, Serbia was annexed to the empire (except for Belgrade, but the Turks would capture it in the 16th century), the Duchy of Athens (and, accordingly, most of all of Greece), the island of Lesbos, Wallachia, and Bosnia.

AT Eastern Europe the territorial appetites of the Turks intersected with the interests of Venice. The ruler of the latter quickly enlisted the support of Naples, the Pope and Karaman (Khanate in Asia Minor). The confrontation lasted 16 years and ended with the complete victory of the Ottomans. After that, no one prevented them from "getting" the remaining Greek cities and islands, as well as annexing Albania and Herzegovina. The Turks were so carried away by the expansion of their borders that they successfully attacked even the Crimean Khanate.
Panic broke out in Europe. Pope Sixtus IV began to make plans for the evacuation of Rome, and at the same time hastened to announce a Crusade against the Ottoman Empire. Only Hungary responded to the call. In 1481, Mehmed II died, and the era of great conquests ended temporarily.
In the 16th century, when internal troubles in the empire subsided, the Turks again directed their weapons at their neighbors. First there was a war with Persia. Although the Turks won it, the territorial acquisitions were insignificant.
After success in North African Tripoli and Algiers, Sultan Suleiman invaded Austria and Hungary in 1527 and laid siege to Vienna two years later. It was not possible to take it - prevented bad weather and mass diseases.
As for relations with Russia, for the first time the interests of states clashed in Crimea.

The first war took place in 1568 and ended in 1570 with the victory of Russia. Empires fought each other for 350 years (1568 - 1918) - one war fell on average for a quarter of a century.
During this time, there were 12 wars (including the Azov, Prut campaign, Crimean and Caucasian Front during World War I). And in most cases, the victory remained with Russia.

Dawn and sunset of the Janissaries

Talking about the Ottoman Empire, one cannot fail to mention its regular troops - the Janissaries.
In 1365, on the personal order of Sultan Murad I, the Janissary infantry was formed. It was completed by Christians (Bulgarians, Greeks, Serbs, and so on) at the age of eight to sixteen years. Thus, devshirme worked - a blood tax - which was imposed on the unbelieving peoples of the empire. It is interesting that at first the life of the Janissaries was quite difficult. They lived in monasteries-barracks, they were forbidden to start a family and any household.
But gradually the Janissaries from the elite branch of the military began to turn into a highly paid burden for the state. In addition, these troops were less and less likely to take part in hostilities.

The beginning of decomposition was laid in 1683, when, along with Christian children, Muslims began to be taken as Janissaries. Wealthy Turks sent their children there, thus solving the issue of their successful future - they could do good career. It was the Muslim Janissaries who began to start families and engage in crafts, as well as trade. Gradually, they turned into a greedy, impudent political power, which interfered in state affairs and participated in the overthrow of objectionable sultans.
The agony continued until 1826, when Sultan Mahmud II abolished the Janissaries.

The death of the Ottoman Empire

Frequent troubles, inflated ambitions, cruelty and constant participation in any wars could not but affect the fate of the Ottoman Empire. The 20th century turned out to be especially critical, in which Turkey was increasingly torn apart internal contradictions and separatist attitude of the population. Because of this, the country fell behind the West in technical terms, so it began to lose the once conquered territories.

The fateful decision for the empire was its participation in the First World War. The allies defeated the Turkish troops and staged a division of its territory. On October 29, 1923, a new state appeared - Turkish Republic. Mustafa Kemal became its first president (later, he changed his surname to Atatürk - "father of the Turks"). Thus ended the history of the once great Ottoman Empire.

The Ottoman Empire, officially called the Great Ottoman State, lasted 623 years.

It was a multinational state, the rulers of which observed their traditions, but did not deny others. It is for this good cause many neighboring countries allied with them.

In Russian-language sources, the state was called Turkish or Tourist, and in Europe it was called Porta.

History of the Ottoman Empire

Great Ottoman state arose in 1299 and lasted until 1922. The first sultan of the state was Osman, after whom the empire was named.

The Ottoman army was regularly replenished with Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens and other nations. Everyone could come and become a member of the Ottoman army, only by saying the Islamic formula.

The lands obtained as a result of the seizure were allocated for agriculture. In such areas, there were small house and garden. The owner of this site, which was called "timar", was obliged to appear to the Sultan at the first call and fulfill his requirements. He had to come to him on his own horse and fully armed.

The horsemen did not pay any taxes, as they paid with "their blood".

In connection with the active expansion of the borders, they needed not only the cavalry, but also the infantry, which is why they created one. Osman's son Orhan also continued to expand the territory. Thanks to him, the Ottomans ended up in Europe.

There they took little boys around the age of 7 for training from Christian peoples, who were taught, and they converted to Islam. Such citizens, who grew up from childhood in such conditions, were excellent warriors and their spirit was invincible.

Gradually, they formed their own fleet, which included warriors different nationalities, even pirates were taken there, who willingly converted to Islam and fought active battles.

What was the name of the capital of the Ottoman Empire?

Emperor Mehmed II, having captured Constantinople, made it his capital and named Istanbul.

However, not all battles went smoothly. At the end of the 17th century there was a series of failures. For example, Russian empire took Crimea from the Ottomans, as well as the Black Sea coast, after which the state began to suffer more and more defeats.

In the 19th century, the country began to weaken rapidly, the treasury began to empty, Agriculture was poorly managed and inactive. With the defeat during the First World War, a truce was signed, Sultan Mehmed V was abolished and left for Malta, and subsequently to Italy, where he lived until 1926. The empire collapsed.

The territory of the empire and its capital

The territory expanded very actively, especially during the reign of Osman and Orhan, his son. Osman began to expand the borders after he came to Byzantium.

Territory of the Ottoman Empire (click to enlarge)

Initially, it was located on the territory of modern Turkey. Further, the Ottomans reached Europe, where they expanded their borders and captured Constantinople, which was later named Istanbul and became the capital of their state.

Serbia was also annexed to the territories, as well as many other countries. The Ottomans annexed Greece, some islands, as well as Albania and Herzegovina. This State was one of the mighty for many years.

Rise of the Ottoman Empire

The heyday is considered the era of the reign of Sultan Suleiman I. During this period, there were many trips to Western countries, thanks to which the borders of the Empire were significantly expanded.

In connection with the active positive period reign, the Sultan was nicknamed Suleiman the Magnificent. He actively expanded the boundaries not only in Muslim countries, but also by joining the countries of Europe. He had his own viziers, who were obliged to inform the Sultan about what was happening.

Suleiman I ruled for a long time. His idea for all the years of his reign was the idea of uniting the lands, just like his father Selim. He also planned to unite the peoples of East and West. That is why he led his position quite directly and did not turn off the goal.

Although the active expansion of borders took place in the 18th century, when most battles were won, however, the most positive period is still considered reign of Suleiman I - 1520-1566

Rulers of the Ottoman Empire in chronological order

Rulers of the Ottoman Empire (click to enlarge)

The Ottoman dynasty ruled for a long time. Among the list of rulers, the most prominent were Osman, who formed the Empire, his son Orhan, as well as Suleiman the Magnificent, although each sultan left his mark on the history of the Ottoman State.

Initially, the Ottoman Turks, fleeing the Mongols, partially migrated towards the West, where they were in the service of Jalal ud-Din.

Further, part of the remaining Turks was sent to the possession of the padishah Sultan Kay-Kubad I. Sultan Bayazid I, during the battle near Ankara, was captured, after which he died. Timur divided the Empire into parts. After that, Murad II took up its restoration.

During the reign of Mehmed Fatih, the Fatih law was adopted, which meant the murder of all those who interfere with the rule, even brothers. The law did not last too long and was not supported by everyone.

Sultan Abduh Habib II was overthrown in 1909, after which the Ottoman Empire ceased to be a monarchical state. When Abdullah Habib II Mehmed V began to rule, under his rule the Empire began to actively fall apart.

Mehmed VI, who ruled briefly until 1922, until the end of the Empire, left the state, which finally collapsed in the 20th century, but the prerequisites for this were still in the 19th century.

The last sultan of the Ottoman Empire

The last sultan was Mehmed VI, who was 36th on the throne. Before his reign, the state was in a significant crisis, so it was extremely difficult to restore the Empire.

Ottoman Sultan Mehmed VI Vahideddin (1861-1926)

He became ruler at the age of 57. After the beginning of his reign, Mehmed VI dissolved parliament, but the First World War greatly undermined the activities of the Empire and the Sultan had to leave the country.

Sultans of the Ottoman Empire - their role in government

Women in the Ottoman Empire did not have the right to rule the state. This rule existed in all Islamic states. However, there is a period in the history of the state when women actively participated in the government.

It is believed that the female sultanate appeared as a result of the end of the period of campaigns. Also, much of the education female sultanate connected with the abolition of the law "On Succession to the Throne".

The first representative was Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan. She was the wife of Suleiman I. Her title was Haseki Sultan, which means "Most Beloved Wife". She was very educated, knew how to lead business negotiations and respond to various messages.

She was her husband's advisor. And since he most time spent in battles, then she took on the main duties of the board.

Fall of the Ottoman Empire

As a result of numerous failed battles during the reign of Abdullah Habib II Mehmed V, the Ottoman state began to actively collapse. Why the state collapsed is a difficult question.

However, we can say that the main moment in its collapse was precisely the First World War, which put an end to the Great Ottoman State.

Descendants of the Ottoman Empire in our time

In modern times, the state is represented only by its descendants, defined on family tree. One of them is Ertogrul Osman, who was born in 1912. He could have become the next sultan of his empire if it had not collapsed.

Ertogrul Osman became the last grandson of Abdul Hamid II. He is fluent in several languages and has a good education.

His family moved to live in Vienna when he was about 12 years old. There he received his education. Ertogul is married for the second time. The first wife died without giving him children. His second wife was Zaynep Tarzi, who is the niece of Ammanullah, the former king of Afghanistan.

The Ottoman state was one of the great ones. Among its rulers, several of the most prominent can be distinguished, thanks to which its borders expanded significantly in a fairly short period of time.

However, the First World War, as well as many lost defeats, caused serious damage to this empire, as a result of which it collapsed.

Currently, the history of the state can be seen in the film "The Secret Organization of the Ottoman Empire", where in summary, but many moments from history are described in sufficient detail.

Portal for the student. Self-training

2.