Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire (1299 — 1923), also known as Turkey or Turkish Empire, was a great Mohammedan State embracing wide areas in Eastern Europe and Western Asia, besides the province of Tripoli in North Africa, and the tributary States Bulgaria and Eastern Roumelia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (under Austria), Cyprus (under Britain), Samos and Egypt (practically controlled by Britain). It was founded by Osman I of Turkey in 1299. The dynasty and the empire established by him are named 'Ottoman' after him, which is anglicized version of 'Osman'. The House of Osman (Hanedan -i- Ali Osman) rule is thus called 'Ottoman rule'. It was dissolved in 1923.

European Turkey, which losed many of its territories in since 1700 and in the beginning of 20th century comprised of a narrow strip of land between the Adriatic in the West and the Black Sea in the East, about twice the size of England; was traversed by the Dinaric Alps and Pindus Mountains, which striked southwards into Greece, while offshoots from the Balkans diversify the East.

Though climate was very variable, and was marked by high winds and extremes of cold and heat, the soil was remarkably fertile and well adapted for the cultivation of cereals, but agricultural enterprise was hampered by excessive taxation. There was abundance of the useful metals and was the only non-Christian State in Europe.

Asiatic Turkey was bounded North by the Black Sea, South by the Arabian Desert and the Mediterranean, East by Persia and Transcaucasia, and West by the Archipelago; had an area more than ten times that of Turkey in Europe, is still more mountainous, being traversed by the Taurus, Anti-Taurus, and the Lebanon ranges; is ill watered, and even the valleys of the Euphrates, Tigris, and Jordan are subject to great drought in the summer; embraced Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, and the coast strips of Arabia along the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf; chief exports were fruits, silk, cotton, wool, opium, &c.

The population of the Ottoman Empire was of a most heterogeneous character, embracing Turks, Greeks, Slavs, Albanians, Armenians, Syrians, Arabs, Tartars, &c.

The government was a pure despotism, and the Sultan was regarded as the Caliph or head of Islam; military service was compulsory, and the army on a war footing numbered not less than 750,000, but the navy was small; since 1847 there had been considerable improvement in education; the finances had long been mismanaged, and an annual deficit of two millions sterling was recorded in the beginning of 20th century, which became a usual feature of the national budget; the foreign debt was upwards of 160 millions at that time. From the 17th century onwards the once wide empire of the Turks had been gradually dwindling away. The Turks were essentially a warlike race, and commerce and art had not flourished with them. Their literature was generally lacking in virility, and was mostly imitative and devoid of national character.