Before and After - The Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire that we are familiar with is a strong, commanding presence in the world. This Empire accepts, for the most part, a patchwork of different ethnicities, backgrounds, cultures and religions. They are a primarily Muslilm empire, with a forced jizya and peppered with sultans and caliphs. However, they do not persecute non-Muslims or force religious conversion, as was popular with some other empires of the time. The Ottomans control a vast and central location in Europe, Africa and Asia and can often act as middle men for trading passages. Because of this the empire is quite wealthy, powerful and intimidating. Their vast size and tight control of their empire makes them a force to be reckoned with, and one that is not often met with opposition. This is the empire I picture when I think of the Ottomans, and is a generally accurate description of their methods and power during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Less than 200 years later, and the Ottoman Empire is almost completely unrecognizable. The once-noble empire is a lesser power, unable to compete with the economies and technology of its western neighbors. Other nations have picked away at it for so long that it is no longer regarded as a large empire, and now resides almost completely in eastern europe. The Ottomans themselves have also begun to question their own identities and loyalty to their country. Some groups, such as the Young Ottomans and Young Turks, advocate for a more secular approach to government. This and other radical changes occuring within the Empire were all attempting to rebuild the crumbing empire, but were not successful. The general lack of nationality in the Ottoman empire and its inability to keep up with new technology led to its eventual downfall.