Ottomans. The dynasty of the Turkish sultans

For all the many hundreds of years during which the formation and development of our country took place, relations with the tribes living on the territory of present-day Turkey were tense. The strongest opponents were always the Ottoman Turks, whose dynasty ruled the Ottoman Empire for many years.

Where did they come from?

Back in the middle of the first millennium AD, during the beginning of the Great Migration of Nations, the first representatives of Turkic tribes appeared in Asia Minor. But in the period of power and strength of Byzantium, when the central power was still strong, they were all successfully assimilated and did not exert much influence on the history of that region. This went on for almost a thousand years. By that time, Byzantium was barely able to withstand constant strikes by the Arabs, and therefore could not effectively resist the attempts of external penetration.

At the same time, the Seljuks moved their capital to the interior of Anatolia, which was located in close proximity to Byzantine lands. Of the arriving Turkish Oguzes, Greeks, Armenians and Persians, the formation of those Turks as we know today began over the next few years. But this process was very long and difficult, because in those parts of ancient times lived a lot of nationalities, many of whom professed Christianity.

Turks are not Turks

Even the appearance of a large number of Turks, who by that time already professed Islam, fundamentally did not change the situation. Strange as it may seem, for hundreds of years the representatives of the two religions have coexisted peacefully with each other, even though it was the Turks who occupied the leading positions in power.

That is why the "Turks", which later turned into the Turks, can only be called the "core" of that society, whereas the rest of the population initially had nothing to do with this ethnos. Since in general there were Ottomans, whose dynasty then rules for several centuries?

Formation of the Ottoman Sultanate

The mixture of Islam and the traditional tribal structure of the Turks themselves predetermined the features of the resulting sultanate. As a result - a weak center, governed not only by the ruler, but also by the bureaucratic apparatus. In it, by the way, the main role was played not by the Turks, but by the same Greeks and Armenians. The outlying provinces were ruled by a whole "vassal institution", in whose role influential Bey played. Accordingly, these "counties" were called Baileys. Out of one came the Ottomans. Their dynasty began with one particularly perspicacious ruler.

To good, this state of affairs could not bring. Ultimately, it was the Beys who began to rule the country, using the extensive network of their relatives at the court. In the 13th century, the history of the future Turkey in general was almost over: first Shiite sectarians rebelled, and then the Mongols invaded. The Sultan died. The Baileys were also in distress ... Except for the one that belonged to Bey Osman.

In 1299 he became the ruler of his own state, as there was no one to obey him, by and large. It was he who was the historical figure from which all the subsequent Ottoman sultans went.

Assimilation of Byzantine Provinces

Osman was very fortunate: the center of the pro-Mongolian state was far away, and the weak and decrepit Byzantium is close. He gradually began to annex its provinces to his country, simultaneously buying back part of the plunder from the Mongolian emissaries. The successors of the buoyant bei became successors of a successful policy: at first they finally "podgrebli" under themselves all of Asia Minor, and then reached the Balkans.

In 1396, the Turks were able to defeat the united army of the Crusaders, and in 1400 even went to attack Constantinople. The first time they failed, but all the same the days of the old Byzantium were finally numbered. In 1453, at the second attempt, Constantinople was taken, and all territories, including the Balkan Peninsula, were finally placed under the rule of the Osman.

Way to the East

In 1475, the Crimean Khanate also recognized itself as a vassal of the Ottoman Empire. After that, the most important trade routes fell into the hands of the Turks, which they could not use. In 1514, the strengthened empire succeeded in breaking the army of Safavid Iran. After that, the country gets a free exit to the Arab East and, more importantly, sharply grows its own territories. Already in 1516 the Turks completely occupy the whole of Syria and are eager to continue. Ottoman sultans "on horseback" in the literal and figurative sense.

Only a year later they invade Egypt already, simultaneously completely abolishing the power of the caliphs. And the latter turned out so successfully that the Turkish sultan became almost the official successor of the last caliph, which completely avoided the inevitable struggle for power and civil war in this situation. In principle, even otherwise, the Sultan would still have been warmly received by the "electorate", since over the past few years the Ottoman Empire has grown rapidly, richer, treated well the conquered peoples, and therefore volunteers to enter its membership were lacking.

It is difficult to take this as an accident, since in a few years the small Bey province has already been able to prove the existence of clever rulers, pursuing an independent and reasonable policy. It is the Ottomans, whose dynasty has achieved outstanding success, has built Turkey to the peak of its greatness. The former Turkic allotment increased and intensified so much that it became a serious threat to the whole of Europe and the Russian Empire.

In addition, the Turks left the world a developed culture, many of which still remain the pride of museums around the world. But who were the Ottoman sultans? The list of rulers in our article can not give them a complete list (it is too large), but the basic idea of them gives.

The most significant sultans of Osmanov

Of course, we can not help but dwell on the personality of Osman I Gazi. It was he who was the ruler of a small province of the Turkic sultanate, having subsequently elevated to the ruler of an independent state. Who was he, this man?

He was born in 1258, died in 1324 (according to the chronicles). Contemporaries considered him a "brave and strong-willed person" who possessed a "barbarous but fair nature." He was on the throne since 1281. Buried in Bursa, his tomb became the center of pilgrimage for all righteous Muslims of the time. All the Turkish rulers, entering into the rights of government, pronounced the words of the oath ... which was knocked out on the tomb of the first Osman, acting as an epitaph. So, Ottoman sultans in order ...

Sultan Orkhan

Years of life - from 1281 to 1360. Was the youngest son of Osman. Completed the capture of Asia Minor, created regular troops (those same janissaries), the first of the Ottoman rulers began a purposeful conquest of Europe. It is precisely Orkhan who is considered a man to whom the Turks are obliged to become an ethnos.

Sultan Murad II

Personality is no less vivid than all of its outstanding predecessors. Lived in the period from 1403 to 1451. Strengthened the state of the Ottomans, severely suppressing all internal turmoil and internecine strife. During his reign, Pope Eugene V called on all Christians to the next Crusade. The absurdity of the situation was that Murad was not at all an enemy of Christians: his country perfectly suited two faiths, his wife was the daughter of a Serbian king who freely professed Christianity.

He agreed to the unfavorable terms of the treaty, which was proposed by the Vatican. The Crusaders sealed him with an oath on the Gospel, and he on the Koran. But soon the papal legates broke their word. There was a battle at Varna. The crusaders were completely defeated, and the Turks got a direct route to the lands of Eastern Europe. Who were the other Ottoman sultans whose chronology of governance is examined in the pages of this article.

Sultan Suleiman I Qanooni

The name of this person is probably known to everyone who enjoys the series "The Magnificent Age." Lived in the period from 1495 to 1566. Known as the "Great", "Magnificent", "Legislator". Perhaps it was the last of a series of first Ottomans, truly worthy of the glory of their ancestors. At it, Turkey really lived its peak of blossoming, and with its descendants the collapse and extinction of the empire began. It can be said that the dynasty of the Ottomans began to wither during the time of Suleiman the Magnificent, because he could not bring up a decent descendant.

He expanded the boundaries of his empire so that its outskirts reached the Strait of Gibraltar. He dreamed of following in the footsteps of Macedon and unifying the whole world under the wing of his country, carried out many reforms that remained valid until the 20th century.

History also retained his affection for the favorite of Roxolana, who managed to become officially his wife. This could not have been achieved by any other concubine in the preceding two hundred years. In the last years of his life he led a campaign against Hungary, but did not live to see victory. His death was concealed until Sultan Selim ascended the throne. He was the son of Suleiman and Roksolana. A drunkard and a weak-willed man, he began the collapse of the empire. Who were the other Ottomans (the dynasty of Turkish sultans)?

Sultan Murad IV

Years of life - 1612-1640. He was 17 years old, "famous" as a bloody dictator. But there were positive results at his board too: it was Murad who managed to put an end to the prosperous collapse of the army and the arbitrariness of the viziers. Killing just for the sake of murder, he managed to return justice to the courts ... He returned already lost by the time of Erivan and Baghdad, but did not have time to enjoy the fruits of victory. He was an unusually sensible and even self-critical person, but on his deathbed commanded to strangle his brother Ibrahim. He was the last heir of the Ottomans in the male line, but ...

His mother saved him. Ibrahim ruled in 1640-1648. A weak ruler, a self-willed and extremely lustful person: concubines for him caught even in city baths. Often the beauties turned out to be wives and daughters of prominent citizens, and officials at the palace had to spend huge sums to settle matters ... After all, the whole clergy finally got tired of the high priesthood and the janissaries, the suffocated "loving" ruler was simply strangled. What were the other Ottoman sultans whose reign was marked by the final decline of the once great empire?

Sultan Mahmud II

Lived in the period from 1784 to 1839. Sincerely respected Peter the Great and he himself dreamed of becoming a reformer of the fairly rotten and sagging Ottoman empire. He created mail, paid a lot of attention to printing, published newspapers and completely reformed the entire state apparatus. But all this was done too late: the processes of disintegration of the state were already impossible to stop. Known that he turned to Nicholas I for help, when it was necessary to suppress the insurrection in the Egyptian provinces.

In the Russian army there were moods about the return of Constantinople to the bosom of the Orthodox Church, and it was possible "purely technical" to do so. But Nicholas I did not want to spoil relations with England and France, and the weak Turkey was much more profitable than the strengthened Egypt. Mahmud himself did not live long, at the 54th year of his life he died, never leaving another binge.

Do Ottomans live in our time? The dynasty in our time, one might say, did not survive. There are no direct heirs, only distant descendants live in Turkey and Europe.