Ottoman Sultanate
.svg) Flag | |
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| Capital | Konja |
| Largest city | Aleppo or Smyrna (disputed) |
| Official languages | Ottoman Turkish |
| Recognised regional languages |
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| Foreign languages | English and German |
| Demonym | Ottoman Turkish (informal) |
| Legislature | Ottoman Parliament |
| Currency | Ottoman lira (ỻ) |
The Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دولت عثمانيه, Dewlet-i ʿOsmânîje), also going by several other names, is a country in western Asia bordered by Mesopotamia, Nejd, the Hejaz, and Jerusalem to the south and Russia and Persia to the east and west. It stretches across most of the Anatolian plateau, Syria, and the northwestern Zagros Mountains. The State is a self-described multinational monarchy (مملكت چوق ملتها, memleket-i tšok milletha), the seat of the Ottoman Caliphate, and a center of intercontinental commerce and services between Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Names
The official long-form name of the country is the Ottoman State (دولت عثمانيه, Dewlet-i ʿOsmânîje). The official short-form name in several languages is Osmania (عثمانیت, ʿOsmânîjjet). Keeping with historical tendencies, the Ottoman State is also called Turkey; however, this was widely rejected by the Government in the 19th century and then again in the Silent War era due to its inadequacy in reflecting the multinational character of the State.
In English-language historiography, the term Ottoman Sultanate is used to refer to the incarnation of the Ottoman State after the Congress of Amsterdam in 1939; for the period prior to this date, Ottoman Empire is used.
History
From the mid-17th century to around 1700, the Ottoman Empire was dominated by the ethnic Albanian Köprülü family and Sultan Mehmed IV. During the Great Turkish War of the late 17th century, the Ottomans faced multiple European rivals, leading to the loss of Hungary to the Austrian Empire, the Morea to Venice, and steppe lands to Poland. The early 18th century, known as the Tulip Period, marked a cultural renaissance, though the Ottomans lost territories in Eastern Europe to Austria in the 1730s. Reforms under Bejasid III and Mahmud I, such as the Edict of Reorganization, reoriented the Empire's diplomatic policies and fostered economic and social transformation.
The 19th century, often called the Ottomans' 'century of change', began with the Augustine Wars and saw the construction of the Suez Canal. However, conflicts with Russia, Austria, and Britain in the late 19th century resulted in significant territorial losses. In 1888, the Grand Congress established a constitutional monarchy, and political power struggles ensued. By 1910, the Orkhonist party had gained significant influence, promoting Turkification and authoritarianism. The Great War against Russia in 1935 ended in defeat for the Ottomans, leading to the loss of vast territories. The Ottoman Civil War of the 1960s saw internal conflict between factions backed by external powers, ultimately resulting in Batu Hakansade's coalition restoring the reformed Imperial Government to power in 1967.
See also
