Name:Lianna Hamsher _____________________Period:_______

Unit 3: Empires Expand & Maintain Power - Ottoman Case Study

Today’s Inquiry Questions

How and why did the Ottoman Empire develop and expand from 1450 to 1750?
● What methods did Ottoman Sultans (rulers) use to legitimize and consolidate power in the Ottoman Empire?

Part I: Ottoman Development and Expansion

Document Based on this document, how and/or why did the Ottoman Empire develop and expand from
1450 to 1750?

1 The Ottoman Empire developed and expanded from 1450 to 1750 by conquering land around the Mediterranean
Sea. Selim I conquered the most land during this period and then Suleiman the Mafnificent conquered the second
Map of most land. Mehmed II had the least conquered lands out of the leaders. As they would conquer the lands, they
Ottoman would collect the people from the lands who would be their enslaved people in their empire. The enslaved people
Expansion
would have tribute owed to the empire after the conquest which helped expand their empire and the conquestion
would allow them to expand and develop their empire.

2 What specific military tactics, units, and weapons were utilized in the siege of Constantinople?
The specific military tactics, units, and weapons that were utilized in the siege of Constantinople include the
The History shield-bears, heavy infantry, other troops, cannon, and Janissaries. Janissaries are when the Ottoman Empire
of Mehmed
captures other, christian empires, and takes the young boys. After taking these young boys, they train them to
the
Conqueror become wariors and force them to their faith. This caused the boys to grow up and become strong wariors who
would fight fiercely which would help rulers take control of other empires. Gunpowder was also a huge impact.
The cannon was a major help. It helped destroy many. Gunpowder was used to take control of other countries and
help them expand as they could explode human buildings and infrastructure and kill many people.
According to the author, what role did Mehmed II play in this siege?
Mehmed II was an Ottoman ruler who expanded the Ottoman Empire in Asia Minor and organized the attack on
Constantinople, the Byzatine Empire’s capital. He utilized both land and naval assults on the city. Mehmed II rule
in this siege was to rule and take control on the attack with using the Janissaries and using different military
tacktics and weapans to take control of Constantinople. Muhmed II was also encouraging the fighters as they
were fighting and encouraged them that even though they were winning the battle, they needed to keep on
fighting and not to stop.
How could you source this document?
This source is a secondary source document because the man who wrote the document was Kritovoulous.
Kritovoulos was a Greek who was a servant and admirer of Mehmed II and while he wasn’t there for the siege, he
collected the eyewitness accounts of those that were present. This explains how Kritovoulous was not there in
person and did not see the even but is taking information from someone else. The document could be biased
because Kritovoulous is a servant and admirer of Mehmed II, so he wants to make Mehmed II look good and
would not say anything negative towards him.

3 Why do you think Sultan Selim I quotes the Qu’ran so often in his letter?
Sultan Selim I quotes the Qu’ran so often in his letter because he wants to use the Qu’ran for evidence and
Letter from explanation to his statements towards the Shi’a Safavid Empire. He also uses the Qu’ran to explain why they are
Sultan write. He wants to explain to the Safavid Empire how they are so good and they are the correct ones because they
Selim I are the ones that are using and understanding the Qu’ran. They are able to explain and what they are doing right,
lines up with the Qu’ran.
What about the Safavids is most upsetting to to Sultan Selim I?
The Sultan Selim I is most upset with the Safavids for not following the full law of the Qu’ran. They have
listened to some of the law, but many of the laws and rules that were illustrated in the Qu’ran they did not listen
to. Some of these laws that they are not listening to may include using deceitful words, eating forbidden food,
rebelling habits, and many of the commandments and the probhibitions of the Devine Law.

4 What weapons were utilized by the Ottomans in the Siege of Rhodes?

The weapons that were utilized by the Ottomans in the Siege of Rhodes includes guns and gunpowder, horses,
Siege of shields and swords, and bow-in-arrow. The guns and gunpowder allowed empires to take control of other empires
Rhodes
faster because of how strong and incontrol guns and gunpowder are able to control. The horses allowed the
Miniature
Painting Ottomans to travel faster and take over empires faster and the other weapans allowed them to defeat and take over
 empires as well as fighting the poeple out.

5 How would this image be used as a show of power?

This image would be used as a show of power by depicting the execution by elephant of a defeated
Ottoman
Miniature
enemy in Belgrade. It shows his power by having the Sultan and the middle. It indicates how everything
evoles around him. The image uses the main focus of the elephant to illustrate the Ottomans and create a
scare tactic. The elephant is crushing a person from foreign lands. This person can be illustrated as other
areas that the Ottoman empire may want to conquer. This illustration brings to attention the elephant, or
the Ottoman Empire, crushing the person, from foreign lands. This creates others to see how much
power the Ottoman Empire has by crushing other places and demonstrates how powerful they are to
show how they can crush and conquer places easily.
6 Based on this document, how and/or why did the Ottoman Empire develop and expand from 1450 to 1750?
The Ottoman Empire developed and expanded from 1450 to 1750 by conqering new lands by using gunpowder
Ottoman and Janasaries. Using gunpowder allowed them to destroy and conquer the lands because it could kill hundreds.
Siege of The Janasaries allowed them to have strong military. The strong military would help them conquer and overtake
Esztergom
the lands. When they conquered other lands, they would also be able to take their goods and materials. This
would help the Ottoman Empire expand because of the tribute that the people from the conquering lands would
owe which would help them grow and conquer more lands so they could expand their empire.

7 Based on this document, how and/or why did the Ottoman Empire develop and expand from 1450 to 1750?
The Ottoman Empire developed and expanded from 1450 to 1750 with the use of Janasaries. Janasaries would be
The Turkish the use of taking Christian boys and removing them from their families and taught various skills in politics, the
Letters arts, and the military and recive a high level of education. This formed elite forces in the Ottoman army. They
would be indoctrinated to be fiercely loyal to the sultan and would be provided a path of upward mobility in the
Ottoman empire. The Janasaries helped the Ottoman Empire develop and expand because they would be the
formation of the Ottoman army and could create terror everywhere which would be another way to help conquer
other places. This would help them grow and develop because the Janasaries would help take and destroy other
areas so the Ottoman empire would be able to grow.

Part II: Legitimizing and Consolidating Power

Document Based on this document, what method(s) did Ottoman Sultans (rulers) use to legitimize and
consolidate power in the Ottoman Empire?

8 The metehods that the Ottoman Sultans rulers used to legitimize and consolidate power in the Ottoman Empire
was through architecture which would illustrate the power. The topkapi Palace was the power center of the
Topkapi Ottoman Empire. There were very special rooms in the Topkai Palace. One of these rooms was where the Sultan
Palace mostly decided what should happen in the harem and it was where the Queen Mother decided whom the Sultan
socialized with. It showed and had power. It helped legitimize and show that the Ottoman Sulatns had power in
the Ottoman Empire. The Topkapi Palace shows the wealth of the Ottoman Sultans with the diamonds and
emeralds and the stone glass. They had the ability to have verses sang to them from the Muslim holy book 24
hours a day which shows their power.

9 The methods that the ottoman Sultan rulers used to legitimize and consolidate power in the Ottoman Empire was
by showing how complex the Suleiman the Magnificent he is by the building. This building is a testament of the
Suleymaniye greatness and the greatness of the Ottoman Empire. He was well into his reign when he built this building and he
Mosque knew what he was doing. He had tremendous military success. This building would be in his power.
How did the Sultan use Janissaries as a show of power?
The Sultan use Janissaries as a show of power because they would form elite forces in the Ottoman army. They
were indoctrinated to be fierecely loyal tot he sultan. It provided a path of upward mobility in the Ottoman
Empire. They showed power because of the respect they gained from the Janissaries.

Respond to the inquiry lesson question using specific information, examples, and evidence from the artifacts.
Answer this as if it were a DBQ thesis statement for an essay you were writing on the topic.

Evaluate the extent to which the Ottoman Empire developed and expanded from 1450 to 1750?
Although the Ottoman Empire was defeated by a European force and had great naval conflicts which lead to their downfall,
Because the Ottoman Sultan rulers used military tactics to achieve conquest and guns and gunpowder, the Ottoman
Empire developed and expanded to a large extent from 1450 to 1750.

Evaluate the extent to which Ottoman rulers used a variety of methods to legitimize and consolidate Ottoman power in the
1450 to 1750 time period.

Although the Ottoman rulers used a selection system called devshirme to staff their military and their government, because
the Ottoman rulers used Janissaries and architecture and arts, for example the Ottoman miniature from the Suleymanname,
the Topkapi Palace, and the Suleymaniye Mosque, to a greater extent the Ottoman rulers were able to legitimize and
consolidate Ottoman power in the 1450-1750 time period.