The Peculiar Practices Of The Ottoman Rulers

Many people today remember the Ottoman Empire as the „Sick Man of Europe”, an epithet the collapsing empire earned during the 19th and early parts of the 20th century. 
The description was no doubt correct during the period it was invented, however, it is also misleading, as throughout most of its existence, the Ottomans were a formidable power, whose strength was feared in Europe and the Middle East. 
The strength of the Ottoman Empire was built on multiple pillars, and each of these was able to strike fear into the hearts of the enemies of the Sultan.
Stick around to find out what these pillars were, and please like and subscribe to the channel to see more videos like this.
 
Ottoman fratricide
 
Medieval and early modern Europe was mostly ruled by dynastic states. In this regard, the Christian Habsburg Empire differed little from the Ottoman Empire. A great difference between the Habsburgs and the Ottomans, however, was the method of succession. 
Throughout most of Christian Europe, the eldest son of a ruler stood to inherit his position and the power that came with it. When the eldest son predeceased the ruler, it could be the male descendants of the eldest son( if there were any), the other sons( if there were), brothers or even uncles of the ruler who could claim the throne.
Successions were often messy and contested, but generally, there was a clear candidate whose claim was backed by the laws of the country. 
 
Ottoman successions differed greatly from the successions of Christian Europe. Succeeding the Sultan in the female line was inhibited, but other than this rule, there seemingly were no other rules. All the sons of the Sultan were potential heirs, and even the youngest could ascend the throne, provided he was able to defeat his brothers.
The lack of clear rules leads to many succession crises in the Ottoman Empire. The sons of Bayazid I fought each other for 11 years( 1402-1413) after their father died, while the early reign of Bayazid’s grandson, Murad II, was also plagued by civil war when he had to fight his uncle and his younger brother to solidify his grip on power.

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