Table of Contents
What type of government did the Ottomans use?
The Ottoman Empire developed over the years as a despotism with the Sultan as the supreme ruler of a centralized government that had an effective control of its provinces, officials and inhabitants. Wealth and rank could be inherited but were just as often earned.
What is the Ottoman Empire merit system?
OTTOMAN RULE Subjects were required to pay taxes and submit to authority but merit was rewarded. Because they were connected to the local people, the military and the bureaucracy were more likely to remain loyal and under control of the Ottoman rulers.
Did the Ottoman Empire have religious freedom?
Under Ottoman rule, dhimmis (non-Muslim subjects) were allowed to “practice their religion, subject to certain conditions, and to enjoy a measure of communal autonomy” (see: Millet) and guaranteed their personal safety and security of property.
How does the Ottoman Empire tie into the idea of a theocracy?
Historians used to portray the Ottoman Empire as a theocracy, a Muslim state ruled by religious figures who formally dealt with Orthodox Christian, Jewish, and other communities through their respective clerical representatives.
What were the political structures of the Ottoman Empire?
The ruling class divided itself into four functional institutions: the imperial, or palace (mülkiye), institution, personally led by the sultan, which provided the leadership and direction for the other institutions as well as for the entire Ottoman system; the military (seyfiye or askeriye) institution, which was …
What branch of Islam did the Safavids follow?
Soon after the Safavids rose to power, they established Twelver Shiism (the largest branch of Shi’a Islam), as the official religion of their dynasty. This distinguished the Safavids from their neighboring and rival empires—the Ottomans (to their west in Turkey), and the Mughals (to their east in India).
How did the Ottomans consolidate power?
To consolidate their Empire the Ottoman Sultans formed groups of fanatical fighters – the orders of the Janissaries, a crack infantry group of slaves and Christian converts to Islam. The Ottomans inflicted a series of defeats on the declining Christian Byzantine Empire and then quickly expanded westward.
How did the Ottoman Empire consolidate and legitimize their empire?
HOW did Ottoman rulers legitimize and consolidate power? They use the devshirme which forced young boys to go into the military and serve the state. The boys were put into units called the janissaries. The Safavid Empire had a Shia form of Islam while the Ottoman had a Sunni form, which caused fighting between the two.