Sultans Of Rome

It has become conventional - or at least convenient - to think of the Turkish capture of Constantinople in 1453 as an Asiatic conquest. This is only partly true. The Turks originated in Asia, but Constantinople was conquered from the west not the east: the Ottomans became a European power before they became a Middle Eastern one and remained a primarily European power. This book combines the legacies of both Europe and Asia, bridging civilisations and cultural legacies for all those interested in European and Asian history.

This book surveys the relations between Catholics outside and inside the Ottoman Empire from 1453 to 1923. After the fall of Constantinople the only large Latin Catholic group to be incorporated into the sultan's domain were the Genoese who lived in Galata, across the Golden Horn from the Byzantine capital. Over the next few decades Turkish armies pushed into the Balkans, overrunning the Catholic population of Albania, Bosnia and Hungary. In the Orient, the sixteenth century saw the Maronites of Lebanon, the Latins of Palestine and most of the Greek islands, which once held Latin Catholic communities, come under Turkish rule. Papal response to the loss of these communities was initially a call to the crusade, but response from West European monarchs was disappointing. Their concerns were closer to home. French interest, however, lay in an alliance with the Turks against the Habsburgs. As a bonus, the Catholics of the Ottoman world received a protector at the Porte in the person of the French ambassador. The book traces the subsequent history of the Latin Catholics and each of the Eastern Catholic churches in the Ottoman Empire until its dissolution in 1923.

The claim by certain rulers to universal empire has a long history stretching as far back as the Assyrian and Achaemenid Empires. This book traces its various manifestations in classical antiquity, the Islamic world, Asia and Central America as well as considering seventeenth- and eighteenth-century European discussions of international order. As such it is an exercise in comparative world history combining a multiplicity of approaches, from ancient history, to literary and philosophical studies, to the history of art and international relations and historical sociology. The notion of universal, imperial rule is presented as an elusive and much coveted prize among monarchs in history, around which developed forms of kingship and political culture. Different facets of the phenomenon are explored under three, broadly conceived, headings: symbolism, ceremony and diplomatic relations; universal or cosmopolitan literary high-cultures; and, finally, the inclination to present universal imperial rule as an expression of cosmic order.

A richly illustrated guide to the Ottoman Empire, 100 years since its dissolution, unravelling its complex cultural legacy and profound impact on Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. At its height, the Ottoman Empire spread from Yemen to the gates of Vienna. Western perceptions of the Ottomans have often been distorted by Orientalism, characterizing their rule as oppressive and destructive, while seeing their culture as exotic and incomprehensible. Based on a lifetimes experience of living and working across its former provinces, Diana Darke offers a unique overview of the Ottoman Empires cultural legacy one century after its dissolution. She uncovers a vibrant, sophisticated civilization that embraced both arts and sciences, whilst welcoming refugees from all ethnicities and religions, notably Christians and Jews. Darke celebrates the culture of the Ottoman Empire, from its aesthetics and architecture to its scientific and medical innovations, including the first vaccinations. She investigates the crucial role that commerce and trade played in supporting the empire and increasing its cultural reach, highlighting the significant role of women, as well as the diverse religious values, literary and musical traditions that proliferated through the empire. Beautifully illustrated with manuscripts, miniatures, paintings and photographs, The Ottomans: A Cultural Legacy presents the magnificent achievements of an empire that lasted over 600 years and encompassed Asian, European and African cultures, shedding new light on its complex legacy.

*Includes pictures *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading In terms of geopolitics, perhaps the most seminal event of the Middle Ages was the successful Ottoman siege of Constantinople in 1453. The city had been an imperial capital as far back as the 4th century, when Constantine the Great shifted the power center of the Roman Empire there, effectively establishing two almost equally powerful halves of antiquity's greatest empire. Constantinople would continue to serve as the capital of the Byzantine Empire even after the Western half of the Roman Empire collapsed in the late 5th century. Naturally, the Ottoman Empire would also use Constantinople as the capital of its empire after their conquest effectively ended the Byzantine Empire, and thanks to its strategic location, it has been a trading center for years and remains one today under the Turkish name of Istanbul. In the wake of taking Constantinople, the Ottoman Empire would spend the next few centuries expanding its size, power, and influence, bumping up against Eastern Europe and becoming one of the world's most important geopolitical players. It was a rise that would not truly start to wane until the 19th century, and the most influential ruler who helped bring the "Pax Ottomana" about was Suleiman the Magnificent. By the time of Suleiman's ascension, the Ottoman Empire was already in good condition. It was politically stable, culturally flourishing, dominating trade in the area, and in possession of a superior military organisation, which allowed Suleiman I to continue his predecessors' work without much need to change the direction of the empire. Selim's aggressive rule left the Janissaries efficient and strong, the Mamluks defeated, and the holy cities subsumed into the empire. The Republic of Venice in the west, as well as the Safavids in the east, had been weakened, and for the first time, the Ottoman had a fleet able to challenge old trade structures and rise as a new dominant power on the seas. Things were going well, and Suleiman intended to keep it that way. Suleiman would rule for about 45 years, during which the Ottoman Empire reached its greatest extent, both in terms of expansion and culture. His reforms made the Ottomans arguably the world's most powerful force on land and at sea. It was during his reign that the Ottomans made their most forceful incursions into Europe, greatly changing the way alliances and power were balanced on that continent. The time after Suleiman's death was once recognized by scholars and historians as the "Decline of the Ottoman Empire," but this consensus opinion changed in the 1980s and is now commonly referred to as the "Era of Transformation." The following years were not necessarily a decline but a shift in the empire's focus, where the constant expansion and warring halted in exchange for internal stability. The focus would necessarily shift to maintaining the status quo as one of the world's leading empires, a difficult quest when the Habsburg takeover of the Holy Roman Empire and the beginning of the colonial period as initiated by Spain and Portugal are taken into consideration. Suleiman the Magnificent: The Life and Legacy of the Ottoman Empire's Most Famous Sultan chronicles Suleiman's life and accomplishments, and the massive impact he had on his empire and the world around him. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Suleiman like never before.

This book examines the transformation of scholars into scholar-bureaucrats and discusses ideology, law and administration in the Ottoman Empire.