THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Suren Manukyan
American University of Armenia
 The Ottoman Empire
Mid-11th century - Seljuk tribes conquered Asia Minor and
Armenia.
 The Ottoman Empire
Since 15th century - Ottoman Turks dominated this region

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMpfdpHPNDE
Violent Empire

violence (murder,
forced
Islamization,
human taxes,
abductions,
dehumanization
and looting)
Devshirme -
forced
collection and
Islamization
of Christian
children.
The
Devshirme
applied to
Greeks,
Bulgarians,
Serbs and
Armenians.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_-Evx9aRlo
Decay of Empire
corruption and nepotism

Economic difficulties - Dutch and British completely closed

the old international trade routes through the Middle East.
inflation, caused by the influx of precious metals into
Europe from the Americas
Social unrest

Unsuccessful reforms

The loss of control of most of the provinces to the local

ruling notables
Military defeats

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MawOLbHtnMY
(till.1.41)
 Armenian colophon, written in the
1720s, notes that during the taking
of Tabriz in 1724 the Ottoman
troops "killed all the males, both
the Armenians and the Persians,
and drove into captivity the women
and boys."

 Sultan Ahmed III, “being

extremely troubled with the
Armenians because of [the]
Persia[n events], has many times
ordered the total extermination of
the Armenians.
 Thank you!

Koum-Kapou’s “K’nar” Philharmonic Orchestra in 1910