Ottoman History in the Middle East and the Balkans

The Ottoman Empire emerged following the decline of Byzantine and Islamic empires to become one of history’s longest-ruling dynasties. This course traces the empire’s transformation: its evolution from an obscure tribe in thirteenth-century western Anatolia into a dominant Mediterranean and European military force during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. We will explore the empire’s adaptation to growing European power and examine its political, social, and cultural foundations, with particular emphasis on its multi-ethnic and multicultural character. In this seminar, we will also pay special attention to the empire’s enduring influence on the Balkans and the Middle East during the early modern era. Through various primary sources and secondary accounts, we will immerse ourselves in the story of how a small frontier principality established an empire that spanned three continents. Pre-1800 3 hrs. sem.