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Position:Home>History> Why were the Ottomans able to build such a successful and long-lasting empire?Question: Why were the Ottomans able to build such a successful and long-lasting empire!? Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: The Ottoman empire was sucessful and long-lasting because of the Jannisary troops, and the millet system!. The Janissary troops were formed from Christian boys, kidnapped at a very young age, then brought up and trained with a fanatical zeal to Islam and devotion to the Ottoman emperor!. This made the Ottoman army very powerful; until the Janissary revolt of 1838, at which point these forces were dissolved!. The millet system allowed the Ottomans to rule subject peoples effectively, without the annoyance of having to interfere in the affairs of people of unfamiliar cultures!. This allowed, for example, the Greek millet, the Armenian millet, and so on, responsibility for their internal affairs; the Turks only stepped in if it concerned the Turks!. The millet system meant that separate cultures remained distinct; this kind of diversity made it difficult for subject peoples of different backgrounds to unite and rebel!. (By the way, Timurlane defeated the Seljuk Turks; the Ottoman Turks followed into the Middle East a couple of centuries later!.) Www@QuestionHome@Com 1!.Great Emperors 2!.Was willing + able to make its government consisted of people from various culture 3!.Controlled the route of commerce from Europe through Persia, India, to China 4!.Timulane destroyed most of powerful foes so Ottoman Turks didn't have to face them when they began to rise into an empire Www@QuestionHome@Com Good is correct on all counts but misses the key point and that is the threat of death to any and all who refused to convert!. Conversion by sword is a very strong motivator!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |