The Ottoman Society and Government

The Ottoman society, which was of Turkish origin was a small state founded in the 13th Century by Osman I. It was run and overseen by his descendants up until 1923 during the end of WW I when it was dissolved and declared part of The Republic of Turkey. The Ottoman society was well structured and complicated. The uppermost influence in the land was the Sultan, whose hierarchical place was determined by birth; new Sultans were selected from the sons of the preceding Sultans. The Sultan, however, was not the ultimate decision maker. He delegated both his executive and political authority. The elders of the tribe came together to form a council of ministers and advisors known as Divan (later known as Porte). The aftermath of the Young Turk uprising in 1908 led to the Sultan losing much of his power with governors acting independently and at times even opposing him (Ochsenwald & Fisher, 2010).
The Palace The palace was the primary royal residence of the Ottoman Sultans. It was used to host state gatherings and royal entertainment events. The Topkapi was the greatest palace in Ottoman society. It exuded an image of mystery, power and solitude, which acted to heighten the royal aura of the Sultans. Work on the palace commenced in 1459 after sultan Mehmet II led Ottoman to conquer Constantinople. The palace had four to five main courtyards, which were surrounded by low buildings, galleries, gardens, water fountains and passages. It was encircled by strong high walls and guarded by heavily armed palace guards. Access in and out of the palace was keenly modulated to ensure that there was no unwarranted entry or exit. Inhabitants rarely had the need to go outside the palace, as it was almost autonomous; with its own water supply,...

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...ntries for further training. The cavalry, which entailed 87000 devoted men known as sipahis employed high speed and mobility tactics and preferring to use bows and short swords rather than more commonly used heavy armour. The infantry consisting of 16000 men was highly disciplined and focused on attacking (Kia, 2011). The imperial navy made a significant contribution in helping Ottoman conquer territories and expand further in the European continent.

Effective leadership of the Sultan, self-sufficiency of the empire and the Islamic faith, which glued the people together, made the military a force to reckon with. The Ottoman Empire additionally ran a military aviation program and a Naval Aviation school, which trained its flight officers. All these advancements were, however, cut short when World War I broke out which eventually led to the dissolution of the empire.