The Ottoman Empire was quite successful from its origin and up to its fall. It was created in the thirteenth century and existed until the end of World War I in 1918 (Evrensel and Minx 2). The height of its martial and economic strength began in the 1500s and continued to the seventeenth century (Evrensel and Minx 2). However, the Empire did not last long, and its fall is related to some institutions.
The first institution that needs to be mentioned is the Empire’s succession structure through which the leaders emerge. If the succession process is weak and involves internal struggles and intrigues, difficulties will occur with the choice of the next leader. The Ottoman harem and polygamy had a great impact on the succession structure in the Empire and should be considered when thinking about its fall.
The second institution is the power structure, and its role in the Ottoman Empire’s fall should also be considered. For example, the ulema-janissary coalition influenced the power of the Ottoman sultans, resulting in a strong counterposition between these segments (Evrensel and Minx 9). Finally, the third institution is the land ownership, military, and public finance structure. The role of this institution should not be ignored while answering the question about the Ottoman Empire’s fall. This structure involves agricultural production and its allocation among the administrators and soldiers (Evrensel and Minx 10). The Ottoman administration was busy with governmental revenues and internal rebellions, so it had no time to consider other issues. One should think about all the aspects mentioned above before answering the question about the reasons for the Ottoman Empire’s fall.
Work Cited
Evrensel, Ayse, and Tiffany Minx. “An Institutional Approach to the Decline of the Ottoman Empire.” Cogent Economics & Finance, vol. 5, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1-16.