Ottoman Empire - Selim I, Expansion, Reforms | Britannica

Ottoman Empire

Table of Contents

Introduction & Top Questions
The Ottoman state to 1481: the age of expansion
- Origins and expansion of the Ottoman state, c. 1300–1402
  - Osman and Orhan
  - Murad I
  - Bayezid I
- Restoration of the Ottoman Empire, 1402–81
  - Mehmed I and Murad II
  - Mehmed II
- Ottoman institutions in the 14th and 15th centuries
  - Changing status of the Ottoman rulers
  - Institutional evolution
  - Military organization
The peak of Ottoman power, 1481–1566
- Domination of southeastern Europe and the Middle East
  - Bayezid II
  - Selim I
  - Süleyman I
- Classical Ottoman society and administration
The decline of the Ottoman Empire, 1566–1807
- Internal problems
  - The triumph of the devşirme
  - Corruption and nepotism
  - Economic difficulties
  - Social unrest
- External relations
- Reform efforts
- Military defeats and the emergence of the Eastern Question, 1683–1792
- Imperial decline in the 18th and early 19th centuries
  - Resistance to change
  - Contacts with the West
  - Military reforms
  - Selim III and the nizam-ı cedid
The empire from 1807 to 1920
- Rule of Mahmud II
  - Internal reform
  - Move toward centralization
- The Tanzimat reforms (1839–76)
  - Purpose of the Tanzimat
  - Reform in education
  - Reforms in law
  - Obstructions to reforms
- The 1875–78 crisis
- The Ottoman constitution, 1876
- Rule of Abdülhamid II
  - Pan-Islamism
  - Preservation of the empire
  - The Young Turk Revolution of 1908
- Dissolution of the empire
  - Rise of the CUP
  - Internal developments
  - Turkish nationalism
  - Foreign relations
  - The people
  - World War I, 1914–18
  - Allied war aims and the proposed peace settlement
Sultans of the Ottoman Empire

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

This map shows the territorial expansion of the Ottoman Empire from 1300 to its greatest extent in 1683-99, highlighting different periods under rulers such as Mehmed II, Selim I, and Süleyman the Magnificent, and marking key cities, seas, and geographical boundaries in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Rumeli Fortress, Istanbul

Inside the powerful Ottoman army

For Students

Ottoman Empire summary

Orhan

Ottoman Empire Timeline

Murad I

Key People of the Ottoman Empire

Atatürk

Decline of the Ottoman Empire

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Whereas Bayezid had been put on the throne by the Janissaries despite his pacific nature and carried out military activities with reluctance, Selim I (ruled 1512–20) shared their desire to return to Mehmed II’s aggressive policy of conquest. But Selim did not wish to be dependent on or controlled by those who had brought him to power, so he killed not only all of his brothers but also all seven of their sons and four of his own five sons, leaving only the ablest, Süleyman, as the sole heir to the throne. That action deprived potential opponents of alternative leaders ...(100 of 25173 words)

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