A well-organized government and bureaucracy were vital to the smooth running of the large and culturally diverse empire. The sultan ruled as an absolute monarch, but the empire was divided into provinces ruled by governors. The sultan was also supported by a vast network of advisors, officials, and administrators who carried out the various duties of managing the empire. Showing a willingness to adapt different methods, the Ottomans used features from a mix of governmental systems to create their own form of rule, and they also allowed some local political and legal customs to continue to function. Given the diversity of the empire 's inhabitants, the Ottomans found it useful to divide populations into groups called millets, which were based