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Paper Abstract: Life, career, politics, leadership, expansionism, legal reform, innovations of 16th Cent. Muslim Ottoman ruler. Paper Introduction: Suleyman I had a strong influence on the development of the Ottoman Empire during his reign as sultan (15201566). In the West, the ruler was referred to as "Suleyman the Magnificent" because of his powerful leadership in expanding the boundaries of his empire. However, among the people of the Ottoman Empire, the sultan was known as the kanuni, or "lawmaker" (Rinehart, 1988, p. 26). Suleyman made many legal reforms during his reign. These reforms covered all aspects of the government; however, the sultan was particularly influential in terms of increasing the power of Islamic law throughout his empire. Thus, the title of "lawmaker" was given to Suleyman because of the role he played in the codification of the seria (religious laws of Islam), and also because of the way he applied those laws to the Ottoman society (Gurney, 1982, p. 581). Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. They were allowed tomaintain their own cultural habits and to attend their own churches as longas they paid the required "kharaj, or head tax" (Lamb, 1951, p. W. 89). Because of this, the sultan's effortsat lawmaking were somewhat limited. It was during that period thatthe borders of the empire reached their furthest limits. Prothero, andStanley Leathes, eds. As noted, Suleyman placedhimself beneath the power of the religious leaders when he systematized theIslamic law of the Ottoman Empire. In 1526, Suleyman led another invasion against Hungary.On August 29 of that year, the Battle of Mohacs pitted the strong,organized Ottoman army against a disorganized, unprepared group ofHungarian fighters (Keleher, 1973, p. In doing this, Suleyman turned a great deal ofhis power over to the Grand Vizier, who had been "little more than head ofthe Divan before" (Lamb, 1951, p. He was also influential in terms of reforming the way that theOttoman government was run. 117). This had a strongimpact on the manner in which the Ottoman government was run. In 1536, Suleyman made an innovation in Turkish international law byentering into an alliance with France. 126-127). J. Among other things, Suleyman usedIslamic law as a basis for his wars of conquest. As a result of this action, Turkey and theOttoman Empire were transformed into Islamic societies. 221). 178). Throughout most of his reign, Suleyman had led the Turks invictory after victory against their neighbors. Europe divided, 1559-1598. The non-Muslim people who were conquered by theOttoman Empire were referred to as the raja. Thereligious-military government as established by Suleyman became a model forvarious other Islamic societies in the region. (1991). Suleyman gave himself"extraordinary authority" in terms of government, and he considered himselfto be "the sole arbiter of the moral law" (Lamb, 1951, p. By the 154 's, Suleyman had succeeded in seizing control over most ofHungary. Brosch, Moritz. The Transylvanian prince turned to Suleyman forhelp, and the sultan decided in 1566 to engage in a "new Turkish invasionof Austria" (Elliott, 1968, p. In 1521, the Ottomans conquered Belgrade and thus seized a claimon the nation of Hungary. Encyclopediaof the Renaissance. Therefore, this raised thequestion of how non-Muslims were to be treated under Ottoman law. Suleyman took the view that religiouslaw was more vital than civil law and, since the mufti was the leader ofthe religious law, he had even more power than that of the sultan himself.In fact, the mufti had the power to remove the sultan from office if hefound it necessary to do so. This periodof decline was made worse by the fact that Suleyman's followers werelargely incompetent in running the empire's government. In1529, the Ottoman Empire reached its furthest point in Europe when its armywas stopped on the outskirts of Vienna. One of the mostpredominant issues in this policy was the question of Hungary and thegrowing power of the Hapsburg Dynasty in that country. 297). In fact, it has been claimed that war was "thegenesis and genius of the Ottoman Empire" (Downey, 1929, p. During his reign, Suleymanalso conquered portions of Northern Africa (Rinehart, 1988, p. This conquest gave the Ottoman Empire a route tothe Persian Gulf. Almostimmediately, Suleyman began invading the nations on the borders of theempire. The laws of Suleyman were also concerned with the financial aspectsof running an empire. (1951). The people of the Ottoman Empire were charged withtaxes in order to help support the government and its ambitions. These people were expected towork for low wages, and yet they were also expected to pay a largepercentage of their wages in taxes (Brosch, 19 7, p. Kingdoms of Europe. As a result of Suleyman's legal reforms, the Ottoman Empire came tobe dominated by both religious and militaristic concerns. 297). In this regard, it has beenclaimed that the reign of Suleyman I was "the summit era of effectiveOttoman power" (Gurney, 1982, p. Keleher, Edward P. 87-9 . 26). After Suleyman's reign, however, the Ottoman Empire began undergoinga gradual decline. During meetings of the divan, the sultan would sit in a concealedroom and listen to their discussions; meanwhile, the members of the divanwould not know "if he were listening or not" (Lamb, 1951, p. 76). From the verybeginning, the Ottoman Empire had been designed for the purposes ofconquest and warfare. This proved to be Suleyman's last warcampaign. New York: Garden City: Doubleday and Company. Suleyman I had a strong influence on the development of the OttomanEmpire during his reign as sultan (152 -1566). 582). This created a number of opportunities for the French in terms ofcommercial trade in the Ottoman Empire. 581). 26). The Islamic teachers of the society also receivedan advantage in that they were given a thorough education prior toattaining their governmental positions. For example, he increased the sizeof his army, and he improved conditions for his personal janissary corps(Brosch, 19 7, pp. Of course, the religious leaders of theOttoman Empire had no intention of interfering with Suleyman's successfulleadership; therefore the ultimate power of the mufti to remove the sultanfrom office was never exercised during the sultan's reign. They were both moreinterested in collecting the material gains of the empire than in makingreforms to improve it. Furthermore,the period following Suleyman's death was one of rapid decline for theOttoman Empire. 129). H. Soon after the battle, the Hapsburg leaderFerdinand made "dynastic claims to the vacated thrones of Bohemia andHungary" (Keleher, 1973, p. Suleyman I (1494-1566) was the tenth ruler of the Ottoman Empire.The Empire was founded in 1288 by Osman, the first sultan (Bergin & Speake,1987, p. 76). For the most part, Suleyman's laws were beneficial to his own people. 1 (1469-1799). This effort paid off, because the power ofthe empire as a whole reached its highest point during Suleyman'srulership. In addition, it provided anopportunity for the French to increase their political power in the area.The Franco-Turkish Alliance "allowed French consuls legal jurisdiction overFrench subjects in Ottoman domains and recognized the French king asprotector of the Christian holy places in Palestine" (Rinehart, 1988, p.26). New York: Facts on File Publications. It is evident that Suleyman's reforms had a long-term impact onthe development of the Ottoman Empire. Suleyman also helped to increase the power of the ulemaoverall by making gifts to the religious leaders. New York:Harper and Row. 257). 88). In return for helping the OttomanEmpire defeat the Hapsburgs, France was given "a favored trade position inthe Levant, the Muslim areas of the Ottoman Empire" (Bisbee, 1951, p. Thethree weeks of silence enabled Suleyman's son, Selim II, to arrive at thescene of the campaign and to take control over both the army and thegovernment (Elliott, 1968, p. Of course, not all of thepeople within the Ottoman Empire were Muslims. During his reign, Selim expanded the empire intothe regions of Syria, Palestine and Egypt. This was true for non-Muslims as well as for Muslims.The idea of all people receiving equal justice in a court of law was arelatively new idea at the time. Because the laws were knownas kanun in the Turkish language, Suleyman became known as the kanuni("lawmaker") among his own people. The height of the Ottoman power. The following year, Suleyman triedto reclaim the lands by leading an attack on Vienna, the capital of theHapsburg Dynasty. 129). At that time, the demandfor education among the common people was very small, and therefore theresponsibility for meeting that demand "was taken easily" by theadministrators of the Ottoman Empire (Brosch, 19 7, p. The entiregovernment of the Ottoman Empire was influenced by the spirit of gazi, aterm referring to the philosophy of warfare. However, at the same time, the Hapsburg Dynasty beganmaking claims on the region. Also,because of his concern with expanding the empire, Suleyman entered into arevolutionary alliance between Turkey and France. Healso made sure that the courts of the Ottoman Empire were run fairly. 127). Furthermore, the non-Muslims were permitted to practice their own religious beliefs and customsas long as they paid their taxes and did not try to cause any trouble.Suleyman was also a good leader in that he used the tax revenues of hispeople in order to make ongoing improvements in the empire. (1973). (19 7). These factors, when combined, created "a sufficiently heavyburden" for the empire's non-Muslims (Brosch, 19 7, p. In addition,Suleyman's leadership allowed the arts and trade to flourish within theempire (Gurney, 1982, p. 136). The period during which Suleyman reigned has been called the "goldenage" in the history of the Ottoman Empire. The leaders of Suleyman's council managed to keep thesultan's death a secret for three weeks. 77). 1-83. However, this attack failed and the event marked the endof the Ottoman Empire's "main expansionist drive to the northwest" (Bergin& Speake, 1987, p. It is perhaps for this reason more than any other thatSuleyman was given the honorable title "the lawmaker" by his own people(Brosch, 19 7, p. In 1534, the empire reached itsfurthest point in the Middle East when the region surrounding Mesopotamiawas seized from Persia. In terms of foreign investment, Suleyman wasparticularly interested in developing the conquered region of Egypt. Under Suleyman, advancement in the military government was basedon ability rather than on family or influence (Lamb, 1951, p. Great Events fromHistory: Modern European Series, Vol. 56 ). III. 257). Furthermore,the raja were ordered to participate in the empire's various militarycampaigns. Suleyman put this taxrevenue to good work by using it for the purpose of strengthening theempire. Government PrintingOffice, pp. Vol. (1951). Even though the Ottoman Empire was an Islamic society, non-Muslims were also given fair treatment by the courts. Suleyman was also an important figure in Ottoman history because ofhis efforts to codify the seriat (Islamic law). (1987). It is interesting to note that there werethree other Muslim dynasties struggling for dominance during that sameperiod. This action resulted in power struggles among thevarious members of the government. Byproviding substantial donations to religious organizations, Suleyman wasresponsible for weakening the political structure of the Ottoman Empirewhile at the same time increasing the wealth and power of the religious law(Lamb, 1951, p. Suleymannever placed himself above the codes of Islamic law; nevertheless, he was"theoretically responsible only to God and to God's law" (Gurney, 1982, p.581). 127). For example, he invested a great deal of the tax money into thedevelopment of fortresses and other defence systems along the borders ofthe empire (Parry, 1979, p. However, of these fourMuslim governments, the Ottoman Empire was clearly the strongest and mostinfluential of them all. 581). 1 4-139. 178). However, although helived in the wealth and elegance appropriate for an emperor, Suleyman wasnot greedy with the taxes that he obtained from his people. 87). 19). Thompson, S. Suleyman did this because he believed that materialwealth is always the property of Allah (or God) (Lamb, 1951, p. Some ofthe taxes were collected from the workers and landowners of Turkey. Invarying degrees, the people of the empire were insured of their rights incourt matters. Bisbee, Eleanor. By giving France these concessions, the treaty between Suleyman andFrancis had long-lasting political effects on the growth of the OttomanEmpire. As judges and other court officials, theulema was in charge of maintaining the laws of the empire and of passingsentences whenever those laws were violated. The power of the empire at thattime was largely due to the laws and reforms which were passed by Suleyman. 129). Ward, G. Because of his expansionist concerns, many of the laws issued bySuleyman during his reign pertained to foreign policy. Rather,he reinvested it into the further development of the Egyptian territory.Thus, "when the annual revenue from Egypt increased to 8 , dinars,exceeding the established figure, Suleiman directed that the increase bespent within Egypt, on irrigation works" (Lamb, 1951, p. The power of the Ottoman Empirereached its peak during the reign of Suleyman. (1968). Turkish reflections: A biography of aplace. WhenSuleyman withdrew from the government, the Grand Vizier was placed at thehead of the divan. The New Turks. 581). 26). The religious leaders or teachers of the OttomanEmpire were known as the ulema. New York: Minton, Balch and Company. Pitman, ed. Downey, Fairfax. This power was furtherincreased by the fact that Suleyman often made extravagant donations ofmoney, land and buildings to the religious leaders. Indealing with this issue, Suleyman's laws had both good points and badpoints. According to the Muslimtradition, political leaders have an obligation to conduct jihads, or "HolyWars" for the intention of extending the influence of Islam into othercountries (Bergin & Speake, 1987, p. Thus,Suleyman's laws, "although to the western mind somewhat narrow in range andin character more interpretative than original, represent none the less along effort to improve and adapt to the needs of a new age the complexstructure of the Ottoman state" (Parry, 1979, p. (1963). This same man continued tohold the office for eight more years during the reign of Suleyman's son,Selim II. Suleyman's father, Selim I,became the leader of the Ottoman Empire in 1512. (1979). This increased the power of the Grand Vizier within thegovernment as well as increasing his political rivalries. The ineffectiveness andcorruption of Selim II and Murad III was ironic in view of the greatness oftheir ancestor and predecessor, Suleyman. New York: Macmillan, pp. 298). In additionto impacting the Ottoman Empire, Suleyman's legal reforms also had aneffect on the development of other governments in the Middle East. 146). 581). 51 -533. Magill, ed. This was the extent of theempire when Selim died in 152 , and his son Suleyman took over. Lamb, Harold. The NewCambridge Modern History. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Salem Press, pp. At the age of seventy-two, Suleyman was an old man at thetime of his death. Furthermore,the Ottoman government was weakened by the fact that Suleyman had reducedthe sultan's power. In addition, Suleyman reduced the sultan's power bygranting ultimate authority in political and social matters to thereligious leadership of the state. During his reign, the Ottoman Empire wasexpanded to the region of Hungary in the northwest and to the Persian Gulfin the southeast. In making his legal reforms, Suleyman never placed himself above thelaw of the religious leaders. This was good interms of creating a strong organizational bond within the empire. G. The upper offices of thegovernment were dominated by members of the military. Both Suleyman'sson and his grandson proved to be ineffective leaders. In 1562, the Hapsburgs signed a treaty withSuleyman in which they gave up their claim on Hungary. Elton, ed. 25).In retaliation, Suleyman led an invasion which resulted in the conquest ofBelgrade in 1521. In 1522, Suleyman led a successful raid on theGreek island of Rhodes (Settle, 1991, p. 533). The battle was over in lessthan two hours, and it left the Hungarian army "annihilated" as well ascausing the death of King Louis (Keleher, 1972, p. 582). By contrast, few other members ofthe Ottoman society were ever given an education. R. 581). During Suleyman's reign, the mufti andthe ulema acquired greater power than ever before. From their position of power, theulema had a very strong influence on Ottoman internal politics (Gurney,1982, p. This long term in office was made possible because Suleymanrecognized the supreme authority of the mufti, and thus did not require himto step down. 582). Because they held such high-paying and important positions within the government, the ulema soon became"an immensely rich and therefore influential class of the population"(Brosch, 19 7, p. The Ottoman Empire, 152 -66. The Islamicreligion had an influence on foreign policy as well as domestic matters.Thus, for example, Suleyman felt that it was important to engage in jihads,or holy wars for the spreading of Islam into other countries. However, thistreaty became "null and void" when the Hapsburg Emperor Ferdinand died in1564 (Parry, 1979, p. The head of the ulema was known as the mufti, a personage of greatpower within the Ottoman society. For this reason, Suleyman worked long and hard on updatingthe "Book of the Law of Egypt." Among other things, this law focused onincreasing revenues from Egypt. On September 7, 1566, two days before anOttoman victory over the Hungarians, Suleyman died in his tent (Elliott,1968, p. Therefore, Suleyman made an important contribution to thedevelopment of the Ottoman Empire by using some of the tax money forinvestments. During hisreign, Suleyman passed legislations which further increased the power ofthe mufti. By the time of Suleyman, the Ottoman Empire had alreadybecome rich and powerful in the Middle East. He was challenged in this effort by JohnZapolya, who had already taken over the rulership of Hungary. Nevertheless, the Hapsburg Dynasty continued trying to regaincontrol over that area. However,Suleyman also made legal reforms which served to weaken the Ottomangovernment over the course of time. It was forthis reason that Suleyman was so heavily involved in wars of conquest andefforts to expand his empire. 581). However, Suleyman was not able to use this route to hisadvantage because European warships were stationed in the Gulf at the time. Suleyman made many legal reformsduring his reign. In that year, the French kingFrancis I asked Suleyman to join him in a mutual attack on the HapsburgDynasty. In the military government of the Ottoman Empire, the sultan wasplaced at the very top of the hierarchy. Forexample, Suleyman helped decrease the power of his own government bywithdrawing from the divan. Thus, "the Ottomans were preeminent in theirimpact on Europe and were rivaled only by the Mughals in splendor, power,and wealth" (Gurney, 1982, p. Although Turkey and France had never been allied before, theinvitation from Francis I did not come as a complete surprise to theOttoman emperor. According to the legal tradition of theOttoman Empire, the mufti simply had to write a few words declaring thatthe sultan had offended Islamic law, and Suleyman "would no longer beSultan" (Lamb, 1951, p. Thus, Suleyman believedthat "the [religious] Law endured, while sultans abode only their destinedhour" (Lamb, 1951, p. The purpose of thisalliance was for these two nations to band together against their mutualenemy, the Hapsburg Dynasty. In the West, the ruler wasreferred to as "Suleyman the Magnificent" because of his powerfulleadership in expanding the boundaries of his empire. Thesultan considered Egypt to be one of the most important of the empire'sterritories. However,it was also bad because it limited the scope and capabilities of theOttoman government. He reduced the sultan's power withinthe government by withdrawing from the divan and turning his authority overto the Grand Vizier. The two nations had already been conducting friendlyrelations with one another for the past decade, and this formal allianceagainst their mutual enemy was seen as being a natural outcome of thoserelations (Thompson, 1963, p. The provision of legalrights to all of his subjects was an important reform within Suleyman'sgovernment. The new Emperor Maximilian II found himself atwar with Transylvania. Philadelphia: Universityof Pennsylvania Press. The monarchies of Morocco, Iran and Mughal India were all seekingto establish their own empires at the same time. The Ottoman'smilitary defeats continued during the reign of Suleyman's son, Selim II.In 1571, five years after Suleyman's death, "the Ottoman fleet wasdestroyed at the Battle of Lepanto by Spanish and Venetian naval forces"(Rinehart, 1988, p. It has been noted that all aspects of government and society underSuleyman were subordinated to Islamic law. In 1528,Ferdinand led a successful war against Zapolya and thus obtained the landsof the region (Keleher, 1973, p. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World.----------------------- 6 Nevertheless, Suleyman's efforts werean important factor in the development of Ottoman life and society. Elliott, J. The sultan paid a great deal of attention to the development andstrengthening of the empire. Thus, the title of "lawmaker"was given to Suleyman because of the role he played in the codification ofthe seria (religious laws of Islam), and also because of the way he appliedthose laws to the Ottoman society (Gurney, 1982, p. (1982). He brought equality into the government bybasing promotions on ability rather than on wealth or family status. As a result of its victory in the Battle of Mohacs, the OttomanEmpire gained control over most of the country of Hungary (Bergin & Speake,1987, p. Some ofthese reasons were due to Suleyman's own actions and others were beyond thesultan's control. Inaddition, taxes were collected from the people of the nations which hadbeen conquered by the Ottomans (Lamb, 1951, p. 297). Although the Ottoman leader had a large army, he met with someunexpected resistance in Hungary which held him immobile for thirty-fourdays (Elliott, 1968, p. 135). After Suleyman's death, however, theempire underwent a period of decline. 26). In the later part of his reign, Suleyman made a radicalchange in the administration of Ottoman government by withdrawing from hisdivan. TheCambridge Modern History. New York: CrownPublishers. Rinehart, Robert. Suleiman the Magnificent: Sultan of theEast. Battle of Mohacs. (1988). These investments were used for making improvementsthroughout Suleyman's realm. The sultan was the head of a small council of ministers known as thedivan. The Grande Turke: Suleyman theMagnificent, Sultan of the Ottomans. Settle, Mary Lee. Selim I was a very strongand forceful ruler, and he became known by the nickname "Selim the Grim"(Rinehart, 1988, p. Some historians have claimed that the laws pertaining to non-Muslims were repressive. DuringSuleyman's reign, it was evident that the collecting of tax revenues was animportant part of maintaining the Ottoman Empire. When Suleymanbecame sultan in 152 , he decided to expand the empire in the direction ofHungary. A. 23-24). 532). References Bergin, Thomas G., and Jennifer Speake, eds. As noted, some of the causes for the Ottoman decline were due tofactors which were within Suleyman's control. [and] his son, Murad III,followed a like course of dissipation and, in the process, sired more thanone hundred children" (Gurney, 1982, p. 178). Gurney, Gene. In addition to refusing the demand, King Louisordered the torture and execution of the ambassador (Downey, 1929, p. Suleyman also used the tax money for thebuilding of roads, bridges, aqueducts and other important public utilities(Parry, 1979, p. Therefore, in addition tobeing important in their own time, Suleyman's laws were important for theirhistorical context and for the way they affected the development ofpolitical ideas in the Middle East as a whole. He recognizedthe importance of making government expenditures as well as collectingrevenues. Earlier sultans had expandedthe empire into the Eastern Mediterranean region and had conqueredConstantinople, which became known as Istanbul, the seat of the Ottomangovernment (Bergin & Speake, 1987, p. For example, one reason for the Ottoman Empire's declinewas a series of military defeats which were beyond Suleyman's immediatecontrol. 27). Paul M. For better or worse, Suleyman was known as the "lawmaker" to hispeople because of the many laws and reforms which were passed during hisreign. 222). The members of the Islamic leadership often held positionswithin the judicial department. 298). As a result of thisphilosophy, "no clear-cut distinction between military and civilianfunctions was made in Ottoman thinking and administration" (Gurney, 1982,p. He sent an ambassador to Hungary in order to demand tribute fromits ruler, King Louis. As Sunni Muslims, the Turks have alwaysbelieved in strict adherence to the teachings of Muhammed and the Koran(Bisbee, 1951, p. Although the divan was in charge of government affairs, its membersshowed great respect and deference for the word of the sultan (Downey,1929, pp. As sultan, Suleyman was leader ofthe army as well as the administrative government. Despite Selim II's arrival, thecampaign against the Hapsburg Dynasty soon came to an end. At the sametime, however, the non-Muslims were allowed for the most part to follow"their own customs, and laws" (Lamb, 1951, p. The Ottoman wars of expansion werestopped by a series of military defeats. II. They did this in order to preventa mutiny among the leaders of the military (Brosch, 19 7, p. Duringhis reign, the alliance between Islamic religion and Ottoman government wasinstitutionalized by law for the first time. In the feudal society of Europe, forexample, serfs received worse legal treatment than the non-Muslims of theOttoman Empire. Suleyman placedhimself beneath the religious law because he realized that religiousauthority is more permanent than civil authority. 532). In addition, Suleyman'sdescendants were not strong and capable leaders like he was. New York: Prentice Hall Press. A European fighting force known asthe "Knights of Saint John" held onto the island despite the best effortsof the Ottoman military to seize it. (1929). Thus, "although modified in latercenturies, much of the early structure of administration was stillidentified at the end of the empire" (Gurney, 1982, p. Europe in Renaissance andReformation. 147). Parry, V. Because of the importance of religious conquest, theOttoman Empire came to be dominated by a military class. As a result, theOttoman Empire began to experience a rapid period of decline. 581). 126). Because of his legal reforms, the Ottoman Empire reached the highest pointof its entire history. However, in 1565, a yearbefore Suleyman's death, the Ottoman army suffered a defeat during theirattempt to conquer the island of Malta. 178). In addition, Suleyman made reforms which improved theeffectiveness of his military forces. Suleyman alsoreduced the power of the sultan's office by turning a great deal of his ownauthority over to the religious leaders of the Ottoman Empire. W. 76). 88). After that crushing defeat, the Ottoman Empiremade no further efforts to conquer the lands of Europe. For twenty-one years during Suleyman's reign, the same man(Ebusood El Amadi) held the office of mufti. This "permanence of tenure" was a vital factor in grantingthe mufti a sense of independence within the Ottoman government (Brosch,19 7, p. 128). Money and lands werefrequently donated by the sultan for the purpose of building new mosquesand religious schools. Furthermore, in addition to impacting the empire's relations withFrance, the pact's concessions had a long-term effect on the ability of theOttoman Empire to conduct relations with other foreign powers as well(Rinehart, 1988, p. Although many of his lawsand reforms had a positive impact, some of Suleyman's innovations also hada negative impact in terms of the overall development of the empire. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Byincreasing the power of the ulema and the mufti, Suleyman furtherundermined the strength of the sultan within the governmental structure.By not taking control of the decision-making processes, Suleyman opened thedoor for many struggles within the government. However, among thepeople of the Ottoman Empire, the sultan was known as the kanuni, or"lawmaker" (Rinehart, 1988, p. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press, pp. The administrationof the Ottoman Empire was patriarchal and militaristic, and it was centeredaround "the concept of commingling of the religious and the temporal in aMuslim society" (Gurney, 1982, p. In this regard, it has been noted that "even if the lawgave fewer rights to Christians and Jews than to Mohammadans, it stillafforded the possibility for each man to secure in full those whichbelonged to him in law" (Brosch, 19 7, p. 9). Ottoman troops engaged in battle with the warships, but they were unableto drive the Europeans out of the region (Gurney, 1982, p. 23). There were various reasons for this decline. With these struggles, the governmentwas no longer as focused and effective as it was during the time ofSuleyman. One of his most important legal actions was that of codifying thereligious laws of Islam. Inaddition, Suleyman made an effort to provide equal justice for all peoplewithin his empire. Vol. 532). These reforms covered all aspects of the government;however, the sultan was particularly influential in terms of increasing thepower of Islamic law throughout his empire. Historical setting. Frank N. Thus,Suleyman's political system was more egalitarian than those which camebefore it. 129). Finally, additional European troopswere sent to help the Knights of Saint John and this action "compelled theOttomans to withdraw" from Malta (Parry, 1979, p. Suleyman was a very important figure in the development of Ottomanlaw. This was a very prestigious and honoredgroup in both politics and society. This action reduced the power ofthe sultan within the Ottoman government and thus made it difficult forfuture sultans to carry out the work of running the empire. 115). Turkey: A CountryStudy. The Ottoman government was called the "SublimePorte," a name which referred to "the gate to the walled inner city ofgovernment buildings in Istanbul" (Bisbee, 1951, p. Thus, "Suleyman's son, Selim II, became a famouslibertine with the nickname of Selim the Sot... These struggles furtherweakened the effectiveness of the imperial government over the course oftime. 533). Harrison. During his reign, Suleyman proved himself to be a fair and justleader of his own people. When Egypt's revenues indeed began toincrease, Suleyman did not simply take the money and squander it. Suleyman passed a seriesof laws which reorganized all aspects of the Turkish government. In fact, Suleyman's reign has been called the"golden age" of the Ottoman Empire. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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