Analysis Of Political Structure And Social System In The Ottoman Empire

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This essay will focus on both the political structure as well as the social system in place in the Ottoman Empire through the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, focussing on the features that contributed most to the strength of the Empire in this period. The Empire was located between the Eastern and Western worlds through its life span of six centuries (fourteenth to twentieth centuries) with Constantinople as its capital for large durations of its existence. Its location also gave it a firm grip over the Mediterranean Sea enabling import and export, contributing to the success of the Empire during its existence. Featuring a wide range of ethnic groups and diverse religious backgrounds, and multiple languages, the Empire spanned across North Africa, Southeast Europe and Western Asia and was one of the world’s leading states and was the only state to challenge the rising Western Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

To begin with, Suleiman The Magnificent (Commonly referred to as Suleiman I or Suleiman The Lawgiver) took charge as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1520-1566 and is recognised as one of the most iconic and famous Ottoman Sultans, and his reign as Sultan is a strength in itself in the Ottoman Empire’s political system. The strength he brought to the military of the Empire can be argued to be unrivalled as his European conquest in which he overpowered the Hungarians and Croats which were the only kingdoms which could stand in the way of the Ottoman Empire’s European grasp. His military tactics were second-to-none which was essential to the expansion of the Ottomans – His defeat of King Louis II in the Battle of Mohács in 1926 saw the collapse of the Kingdom of Hungary, the largest threat to the Ottomans at the pinnacle of European powerhouses. Domestically, Suleiman made significant inroads also – his title “Suleiman the Lawgiver” has reason behind it as he made reforms which benefitted the people of the Empire greatly, but also contributed to the growth of the Empire such as his Kanune Raya reform which saw a rise in status for the Rayas, or Christians. This reform was so significant that the Empire benefitted from the migration of Christian serfs to Turkish territories in order to take advantage of Suleiman’s reform. Sulieman also installed a firman which changed the treatment of the Jews within the Empire long after the death of the Sultan, allowing the Ottoman Empire to be multireligious and truly diverse which was key to the Empire’s existence. With these points raised, I argue that the permittance of a Sultan in the political structure of the Ottoman Empire was key to both its expansion and its domestic affairs, prolonging the life of the Empire. Sulieman I’s use of power was not always emulated by successors, as many historians argue that a lack of use of Sultan power led to the decline of the empire in the 19th and 20th centuries.

With regards to the political system used in the Ottoman Empire itself, there was a rather complex system in place, so I shall divide it into three tiers – The central government was made up of the Sultan, his staff, Divan (or the advisors), Grand Vizier, the nobility, men of the court and military superiors with the Sultan at the top, however the power of those mentioned cannot be understated. These groups made up the pinnacle of the hierarchal structure of the Empire. Next, the Imperial Harem ruled over the courts and was comprised of Valide Sultan (the mother of the ruling Sultan), Haseki Sultan (appointed by the Sultan, essentially giving him power inside the courts. This was abolished in 1695), Haseki Kadin, Concubines, court officials, pupils and novices. The provincial government then ruled over the lower class (rayas). With this hierarchal structure, this allowed for the provincial system to adjudicate for its designated audience with adequate power, however if major reforms were deemed necessary, they could be overruled by those above such as Suleiman I’s previously mentioned Kanune Raya. The Ottomans also had firm belief in divine ruling, evident with the use of a Valide Sultan in the Imperial Harem – the mother of a Sultan is deemed to be chosen to rule by divine right.

On the other hand, the social structure in place is much simpler and I shall divide this into four groups. At the top the Ottomans had the Men of the Pen, those best educated and in elite roles in society such as scholars, doctors and judges. Next, the men of the Sword were the warriors of the Empire, those with military experience and allowed for the expansion of the Empire through conquests and battles. The Men of Negotiation were those skilled in trade, allowing for importation and exportation, therefore the flourish of the Ottoman economy can be tied into these men. Lastly, we have The Men of Husbandry – the men with the least skill and education who could not contribute militarily nor had the education to break into the Men of the Pen or Negotiation. Then there were social groups who did not break into any of these collective groups – for example men captured from other nations were sometimes forced into a life of slavery or into the military, brainwashed to fight for the betterment of the Ottomans which was a strength in part to the expansion of the Empire as it increased military numbers and strength.