How Successful Was The Ottoman State

The Ottoman state was meticulously crafted and very well organized. It had adapted previous administrations such as the Iqta system and the slave military corps. Religious elites were treated with apparent kindness, trade and societal life thrived and agricultural cultivation was supported. The Ottomans were the ruling power in the central Middle East for as long as four centuries. They contributed heavily to the development of the modern Middle East through their many influences in politics, economy and religion. The Ottoman state was a complex structure. Donald Quartet explains that what made it so intriguing was the method of emergence and transforming into what was necessary in order to subdue and possess followers (Quartet, page 19). The Ottoman state’s success is closely related to the sack of Constantinople, which, after Ottoman control, was renamed Istanbul. Shortly after, in order to utilize Istanbul’s unique position, a navy was drafted by Mehmet the Conqueror, who constructed a naval fleet that drove the

Ira Lapidus explains that the Sultan’s power was vast, with the state being their personal quarters, the soldiers his slaves and the empire itself his personal property. The Sultan had absolute authority and his power trickled down the royal family. Unfortunately, the succession of powers were not specified and a struggle for power ensued after a Sultan reign ended. The Sultan’s authority however, was not the only type of Ottoman government and were flexible in their dealings with their massive empire. Donald Quartet clarifies that their success lay with their “adoption of flexible administrative practices that could accommodate the needs of different regions and different cultures” (Quartet, page 42). The Ottoman State characterized shows their masterful military expertise and their governmental system which included Iqta, as well as, singular