Compare And Contrast The Ottoman And Qing Empires

Beginning in the 18th century, many ancient civilizations began to decline including the Ottoman empire and the Qing dynasty. The Ottomans had reached their peak late in the 15th century. The turkic warriors demolished the Byzantine empire and established an Islamic society in much of the Balkans and the Mediterranean. To the east a new Chinese dynasty was emerging in the mid 17th century. The Qing emperors were not of Chinese descent, but were instead a nomadic group called the Manchu that conquered a declining Ming dynasty in 1644. The Manchu adopted many of the Chinese ways and allowed society to continue as it had. Although the decline of the Ottoman and the Qing dynasty had a few key similarities, the conditions of their fall

By the 1870s the Ottomans had been driven out of the Balkans and lost a large portion of their territory. They were unable to keep Greece and Serbia under their reign and they lost the Crimean War with Russia in 1856. Unlike the Ottomans, the era of the Manchu saw a great expansion of Chinese territory. By conquering the nomadic groups to the West, the Qing was able to expand their territory. Outside contact also affected internal conditions. Western influences and manufacturing disrupted the existing social order among the Ottomans. The power of Muslim artisans and merchants were slowly replaced by the West. The Ottomans became more and more dependent on Europe to stimulate their economy. However, the Ottomans were partially sustained by the growing rivalries of Europe and often let the British aid in their desperate fight to maintain their empire, albeit reluctantly. The Manchu were very honorable and considered non-Chinese to be barbarians. Unfortunately, this thinking prevented the Chinese from learning from western technology and science. As a result the West was able to easily defeat the Qing in key battles such as the Opium War in 1839 to 1841. In contrast to the Ottomans, the Qing was unable to compromise with the West and Europe forced its way into China. However, both societies were influenced by Western methods, despite attempts to restore traditional ideology and campaigns by both Chinese