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Objective: to gain an understanding of what the Ottoman Empire was, its power over and influence on the region, as well
as the factors which led to its downfall.
Directions: Divide students into seven groups. Explain that they are investigative reporters who are being sent out to get
answers to the following. They will share their findings with the rest of the class through the format of a Dateline broadcast.
(They are not to merely read off an answer to the question.) One person may be the anchor reporting from the news desk
who will then introduce a reporter on the scene with more information and/or an interview with someone on location.
Students should use their imagination to put themselves in the position of those about whom they are reporting.
Materials: Students may use any of the following depending on their group assignment:
Group 1: Use p.442 and p. 451 to find the following (use the text, map, pictures and captions)
How did the Ottoman Empire impact culture? (religion, art, law, architecture...?)
What other names refer to him--aliases, nicknames...? (we don't want to miss out on important details about this
guy because he is using a code name!)
How would you describe his standing with his citizens--how would he rate in the public opinion polls? (look at his
ratings not only with his own people, but with Christians and Jews as well).
1. Compare the maps and documents A and C. How did the Middle Eastern trade routes of the Christian Byzantine
Empire and the Persian Empire lead to the spread of Islam?
2. How effective were the Middle Eastern traders in spreading Islam?
3. What was the Ghazu and the Ummah? How did Islam change the way Ghazu worked?
4. Why were the Arabs able to conquer much of Persia and parts of Byzantium?
5. What are the jobs and duties of the caliph?
Group 4: Use pp.442-443 in student text, as well as the article, The Middle East Under the Power of the Turks.
Group 5: Use p. 443 in student text, as well as the article, The Middle East Under the Power of the Turks.
Group 6: Use New Forces For Change in the Ottoman Empire. (The map on p.454 of the purple text may also be helpful.)
Which countries have been successful in their opposition to the Ottoman Empire?
How did the invaders benefit from their victory over the Ottoman Empire?
How did the defeat of the Ottoman Empire by these invaders affect the Ottomans citizens' approval of their
government?
Group 7: Use New Forces for Change in the Ottoman Empire and p. 449 in the purple textbook.
The government leaders of the Ottoman Empire have been humiliated after a number of defeats. What changes do
they try in an attempt to rescue their Empire/their power?
What is the end of the story for the Ottoman Empire? (what brought about their demise?)
When groups are ready to share, arrange a few desks as a news desk. The Dateline program could begin with an
introduction similar to the following:
Good evening ladies and gentleman and welcome to Dateline. The year is 1920 and tonight's story takes us to Southwest
Asia where massive changes appear to be underway. This has been a land of mystery to many of us here in the West--
when we hear of the Middle East we think of camels, sultans, deserts. But is there more to this region that maybe we don't
know? Of particular interest tonight is a long ruling government we are hearing about called the Ottoman Empire. Tonight we
will hear from our Dateline reporters which are on sight in the region with the facts, including some live interviews.
Student Pages:
Group 1: Use p.442 and p. 451 to find the following (use the text, map, pictures and captions)
How did the Ottoman Empire impact culture? (religion, art, law, architecture...?)
What other names refer to him--aliases, nicknames...? (Don't miss out on important details about this guy because he is
using a code name!)
How would you describe his standing with his citizens--how would he rate in the public opinion polls? (look at his ratings
not only with his own people, but with Christians and Jews as well).
How did the Middle Eastern trade routes of the Christian Byzantine Empire and the Persian Empire lead to the spread of
Islam?
The Serbian boys cried as they saw their village for the last time. They were being carried off as part of the devshirme, or boy tax.
Each year the Turkish Governor of Serbia demanded that his Christians subjects supply the sultan with boys between the ages of 8-10 as slaves.
Now the boys pondered the fact that their turn had come as they saw the village disappear behind the mountain. Their parents, watching from the
village could console themselves with a few good thoughts. Although the boys would be converted to Islam, they would probably get the best
education possible and be almost assured wealth and status as servants of the Ottoman Empire. Since all of the Christian boys were being
enslaved, the Christian girls had no choice to marry Muslim boys, thus converting to Islam.
Who were these Ottoman, and where did they come from? After the Middle Easterners had successfully fought off the Crusaders, they
faced a more fearsome enemy: The Mongols. These ferocious warriors mounted on short, study horses trotted into the Middle East after
conquering China. They swept all before them and burned and looted great Islamic cities like Baghdad. Yet, their domination was short lived.
Osman, a prince of a small Turkish principality in teh 15 th century, gradually carved out for himself a new empire from the remnant of the old.
Named after Osman, this new empire is known as the Ottoman Empire. With amazing speed, his successors spread the empire in all directions.
After Turkey, they turned to the Serbian Empire, then captured Constantinople, bringing the Christian Byzantine Empire to an end. Finally, they
captured all of the Middle East and North Africa. In 1529 the greatest of Osmans descendants, Suleiman the Magnificent, even attacked Vienna,
one of the main capitals of Europe.
Although Suleiman failed to capture the Austrian city, he nevertheless ruled over a well run empire from his capital in Istanbul. When the
Ottomans captured Constantinople, they changed the name to Istanbul and proceeded to make an already beautifully city breathtaking. They built
mosques with huge domes and pencil thin minarets. For the first 200 years of its existence, the Ottoman Empire was ruled by able sultans. These
men could count also on the fanatical loyalty of the slaves collected by the devshirme. They supplied the empire with administrators, scribes, and
soldiers. Most noteworthy of these slaves were the Janissaries. Like the rest of the devshirme, they came as children from the sultans Christian
possessions. Well educated in special schools they made up and elite corps of infantry. The Janissaries were kept in closed barracks where they
spent their time in endless military drill. They were only allowed out to fight the sultans enemies. Because of their discipline and devotion to the
sultan, they were almost unbeatable in battle.
However, even in Suleimans day, the empire began to show signs of weakness. The Ottomans fell behind the Europeans
Technologically. While the Europeans developed new and faster sailing ships, the Ottomans still used oar driven galleys. Conservative religious
leaders repressed the use of the printing presses so that books were rare. In time, even the Janissaries were no match for European armies with
better firearms. Meanwhile European discoveries found a new sea born trade route around the coast of Africa and across the Atlantic to the New
world. Sea travel was much cheaper than carrying goods by land across the Middle East. As a result, commerce and trade in the Ottoman Empire
deteriorated. Most of the trade bypassed the Middle East altogether and what survived was dominated by European Merchants who negotiated
special contracts for lower prices. These insured that they paid no tax and enjoyed special privileges that put their Middle Eastern competitors
out of business.
Corruption, too, had weakened the sultans ability to rule. With the death of Suleiman, the line of strong sultans came to an end.
Suleimans heir was known as Selim the Drunkard. The office of the grand vizier, the sultans right hand man, came to be occupied by men chosen
for their popularity and not their ability. Without strong control at the top, administrators taxed the people unjustly for profit, and the Janissaries
began to dominate the sultan. When the sultans tried to initiate reforms, they were assassinated by the Janissaries who feared losing their
privileges. In the various provinces of the empire, such as Egypt, local governors gained increasing power from the sultan so that they became
almost separate princes. As the world entered the 1800s, the Middle East found itself running desperately behind Europe.
Group 5: Use p. 443 in student text, as well as the article, The Middle East Under the Power of the Turks.
The Serbian boys cried as they saw their village for the last time. They were being carried off as part of the devshirme, or boy tax.
Each year the Turkish Governor of Serbia demanded that his Christians subjects supply the sultan with boys between the ages of 8-10 as slaves.
Now the boys pondered the fact that their turn had come as they saw the village disappear behind the mountain. Their parents, watching from the
village could console themselves with a few good thoughts. Although the boys would be converted to Islam, they would probably get the best
education possible and be almost assured wealth and status as servants of the Ottoman Empire. Since all of the Christian boys were being
enslaved, the Christian girls had no choice to marry Muslim boys, thus converting to Islam.
Who were these Ottoman, and where did they come from? After the Middle Easterners had successfully fought off the Crusaders, they
faced a more fearsome enemy: The Mongols. These ferocious warriors mounted on short, study horses trotted into the Middle East after
conquering China. They swept all before them and burned and looted great Islamic cities like Baghdad. Yet, their domination was short lived.
Osman, a prince of a small Turkish principality in teh 15 th century, gradually carved out for himself a new empire from the remnant of the old.
Named after Osman, this new empire is known as the Ottoman Empire. With amazing speed, his successors spread the empire in all directions.
After Turkey, they turned to the Serbian Empire, then captured Constantinople, bringing the Christian Byzantine Empire to an end. Finally, they
captured all of the Middle East and North Africa. In 1529 the greatest of Osmans descendants, Suleiman the Magnificent, even attacked Vienna,
one of the main capitals of Europe.
Although Suleiman failed to capture the Austrian city, he nevertheless ruled over a well run empire from his capital in Istanbul. When the
Ottomans captured Constantinople, they changed the name to Istanbul and proceeded to make an already beautifully city breathtaking. They built
mosques with huge domes and pencil thin minarets. For the first 200 years of its existence, the Ottoman Empire was ruled by able sultans. These
men could count also on the fanatical loyalty of the slaves collected by the devshirme. They supplied the empire with administrators, scribes, and
soldiers. Most noteworthy of these slaves were the Janissaries. Like the rest of the devshirme, they came as children from the sultans Christian
possessions. Well educated in special schools they made up and elite corps of infantry. The Janissaries were kept in closed barracks where they
spent their time in endless military drill. They were only allowed out to fight the sultans enemies. Because of their discipline and devotion to the
sultan, they were almost unbeatable in battle.
However, even in Suleimans day, the empire began to show signs of weakness. The Ottomans fell behind the Europeans
Technologically. While the Europeans developed new and faster sailing ships, the Ottomans still used oar driven galleys. Conservative religious
leaders repressed the use of the printing presses so that books were rare. In time, even the Janissaries were no match for European armies with
better firearms. Meanwhile European discoveries found a new sea born trade route around the coast of Africa and across the Atlantic to the New
world. Sea travel was much cheaper than carrying goods by land across the Middle East. As a result, commerce and trade in the Ottoman Empire
deteriorated. Most of the trade bypassed the Middle East altogether and what survived was dominated by European Merchants who negotiated
special contracts for lower prices. These insured that they paid no tax and enjoyed special privileges that put their Middle Eastern competitors
out of business.
Corruption, too, had weakened the sultans ability to rule. With the death of Suleiman, the line of strong sultans came to an end.
Suleimans heir was known as Selim the Drunkard. The office of the grand vizier, the sultans right hand man, came to be occupied by men chosen
for their popularity and not their ability. Without strong control at the top, administrators taxed the people unjustly for profit, and the Janissaries
began to dominate the sultan. When the sultans tried to initiate reforms, they were assassinated by the Janissaries who feared losing their
privileges. In the various provinces of the empire, such as Egypt, local governors gained increasing power from the sultan so that they became
almost separate princes. As the world entered the 1800s, the Middle East found itself running desperately behind Europe.
Group 6: Use New Forces For Change in the Ottoman Empire. (The map on p.454 of the purple text may also be helpful.)
Which countries have been successful in their opposition to the Ottoman Empire?
How did the invaders benefit from their victory over the Ottoman Empire?
How did the defeat of the Ottoman Empire by these invaders affect the Ottomans citizens' approval of their government?
The government leaders of the Ottoman Empire have been humiliated after a number of defeats. What changes do they try in
an attempt to rescue their Empire/their power?
What is the end of the story for the Ottoman Empire? (what brought about their demise?)