LESSON 4.2 Leadership and power in the Ottoman Empire
LEARNING INTENTION By the end of this lesson you should be able to identify how Ottoman rulers governed their diverse empire and explain why these strategies were successful.
Tune in Ottoman tax records were written in multiple languages, including Turkish, Arabic, Greek and Armenian. Work in pairs to answer the following questions: 1. Why would an empire need documents in different languages? 2. What challenges might rulers face governing people who speak different languages? 3. How could keeping detailed tax records help control a large empire?
DID YOU KNOW? Ottoman officials had to learn multiple languages to govern effectively. Many important documents were written in three or four different languages to ensure everyone could understand them.
4.2.1 Governing a diverse empire The Ottoman Empire faced a unique challenge: how to rule over millions of people with different cultures, religions and languages, while maintaining peace and collecting taxes. The Sultans developed a sophisticated system of government that balanced central control with local freedoms. The Sultan’s power At the top of this system sat the Sultan, who held both political and religious authority. He was not just a political ruler but also the caliph, the protector of Islam and guardian of its holy cities. However, even with this immense power, the Sultan needed help to govern his vast territories. The Sultan governed through his Imperial Council (Divan), which met regularly in the Topkapı Palace. This council included: • the grand vizier — a prime minister–style official, who ran the day-to-day government
• military commanders who managed the army • religious leaders who advised on Islamic law • financial officials who oversaw tax collection • provincial governors who reported on local issues.
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator