Internal Transformations in the Ottoman State (973-1029 AH / 1566-1620 AD) (An Analytical Study)

Abstract

The Ottoman Empire was the last Islamic state to rule the Muslim lands, and its rule lasted for about six hundred years after it was founded by Osman I bin Ertugrul. Its origins trace back to the Turks, and it reached the peak of its power in the sixteenth century. Its emirates extended to include the most important continents of the Old World. However, that power, glory, and sovereignty ended with the death of Suleiman the Magnificent. Although his reign included some weaknesses, whether within Ottoman society itself or in the governing apparatus, these weaknesses were not as clearly evident as they later became. If there is a Golden Age in Ottoman history, it is his era, whose significance grew in the minds of the Ottomans over time, to the extent that many of those who governed the state during various periods would yearn to restore its bygone glories. After him came an era of fragmentation and weakness, and the age in which Islamic conquests reached Central Europe ended. Internal competition and conflicts began, conditions deteriorated, and the Ottoman state became a target for enemies both internal and external. Yet, these transformations that affected various internal aspects did not occur out of nowhere; they were contributed to by a set of causes that this inquiry aims to shed light on.