...The Ottoman Empire was founded in the year 1299, at this time only a small Anatolian state. However, the country had greater ambitions and sought to bring down the ailing Byzantine Empire. In 1453 they would realise this goal when Ottoman forces stormed the walls of Constantinople, declaring the great city as their new capital. Since then, the country entered a period of relentless conquest and expansion. The country reached its peak in the late 16th century under Suleiman the Magnificent, boasting a vast empire that stretched over three continents. However, after the failure of the Ottoman plot to seize the Austrian capital, Vienna, the empire entered a gradual decline. Over the course of 4 centuries, the Ottomans would lose grip over their conquered territories, its borders creeping closer and closer to Constantinople. Nevertheless, the Ottomans remained a force to be reckoned with and an empire of enviable size. Throughout the mid to late 19th century, the Ottoman government would oversee an era of widespread social, political and economic reform known as Tanzimat, Turkish for reorganisation. Some of the key reforms included emancipation of non-Muslims, reorganisation of the military and financial system, the building of rail and telegraph infrastructure and a boom in the size of the Ottoman bureaucracy. In 1876 an Ottoman Constitution was introduced. While...
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...After capture by crusaders of Constantinople (1204), the empire broke up to parts and power of the centralized state sharply fell. Feudal lords started being exempted from its guardianship, and in Byzantium the feudal ancestral lands close to the West European was formed. Even after restoration of unity of the empire and return of Constantinople (1261) states hadn't any more forces to resist to sharply increased power of the feudal aristocracy. The empire was more and more split up for destinies, and functions of the government gradually passed to feudal lords. But even in the period of feudal dissociation the central power didn't lose completely the positions, because of constant military danger. Why the term feudalism in relation to Byzantium raises doubts? And why we can't tell about the Byzantine feudalism, how about primary concept of feudalism?...
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...“Why Byzantine economy remained one of the most powerful in Europe through Early Middle Ages?” The Byzantine cconomy was one of the largest systems throughout Europe and the Mediterannean for many centuries. Both local and international trade were of huge importance for the Byzantine Empire. Lower class, including traders, depended on the upper class. Their need of the foreign goods in order to stay in Local trade was much less popular. Throughout the fourth and sixth centuries, long-distance trade was operating successfully, until the plague appeared, which killed around one-third of the citizens in the Byzantine Empire, and ruined the trade networks. The Byzantine economy had recovered in the tenth century, and Italian merchants contributed to its steady growth in the Mediteranian through the tenth and eleventh centuries (Katz 27-39). To begin, the decades of instability as well as foreign invasions mostly by Germanic tribes, led to an establishment of a new military, political, and administrative framework under Diocletian (284-305), and Constantine I, which also led to a new economic power in Byzantine and Constantinopole. From 395 to 476, the Empire was in a big crisis until the Germans left the territory. Emperor Justinian I provided the growth of the economy, but also the growth period ended with the “Justinian Plague” that broke out in Egypt in 542, and reduced the population in all provinces of the empire. The “Justinian Plague” continued until the 8th century. At...
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...The Roman Empire deteriorated in the year 476 C.E. after suffering several invasions, poverty, different leaders, and political instability which lead to the split of the empire (Western and Eastern). The Eastern Empire was lead to be known as the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine Empire, even though it became its own independent empire after the Roman fell, it can be considered a partial continuation of Rome. The Byzantine Empire kept most of the characteristics of the Roman Empire’s government with some slight modifications. It had a system of aristocracy (few people hold power) and bureaucracy (state officials that make important decisions, they aren’t elected). At the head of the government was the Emperor, just like in the Roman Empire, and beneath him were a multitude of officials and court officers. They helped the emperor administrate the vast empire. In addition, the emperor...
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...century. At the time, the Byzantine Empire, which rose from the fall of the Roman Empire hundreds of years, was in controlled the region. The Ottomans after the came into existence started to continuous expand, during which they spread from the small northwestern to cover most of Anatolia and southeastern Europe The Seljuk Turks controlled the Anatolia and the Middle East at the time, a more vast area than what the Ottomans controlled. However, an army led by Osman I went ahead and expanded into the vast majority of Anatolia, In 1299, Osman announced himself sultan, becoming the first ruler of the Ottoman Empire The defeat of the Seljuqs in 1293 by the Mongols, Osman became the first ruler of the Ottomans where he went to war and and expanded by taking over Byzantine Bithynia in Anatolia, commanding islam warriors referred to...
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... | | Byzantine Empire 330 C.E. to 1453 C.E. --- Only in the eastern Mediterranean did a classical empire survive. The eastern half of the Roman empire, known as the Byzantine empire, withstood the various problems that brought down other classical societies and survived for almost a millennium after the collapse of the western Roman empire in the fifth century C.E. --- The Byzantine empire was a political and economic powerhouse of the postclassical era. Until the twelfth century, Byzantine authority dominated the wealthy and productive eastern Mediterranean region. The Byzantine empire also deeply influenced the historical development of the Slavic peoples of eastern Europe and Russia. Byzantine missionaries and diplomats introduced writing, Christianity, codified law, and sophisticated political organization into lands settled by Slavic peoples. Because Byzantine political, economic, and cultural influence stretched so far, historians often refer to it as the “Byzantine commonwealth.” Just as Greek and Roman initiative brought Mediterranean lands into a larger integrated society, Byzantine policies led to the formation of a large, multicultural zone of trade, communication and interaction. --- The Byzantine empire takes its name from Byzantion - latinized as Byzantium – a modest market town and fishing village that occupied a site...
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...Two empires arose during the postclassical period, before 1450, the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphates. The Islamic Caliphate was influenced by Muhammad’s teachings and the Byzantine Empire was influenced by Christianity and each established their rule through their dominant religion. Christianity became the Byzantine Empire’s state religion as did Islam for the Islamic Caliphates. Both empires established their political leaders as their religious leaders so they would have more power over the citizens. They used religion to unite the people and to justify expansion for their government. However, these empires did not have similar legal systems. The laws of the Byzantine Empire were based off of Roman laws and the Islamic Caliphates centered their laws on the Quran. Neither empire failed to acknowledge the importance of religion in each society. Because of the importance, the leaders of both empires, the Emperor in the Byzantine and the Caliph in the Caliphates, were set as the head religious figures. This similarity between the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphates shows how they each empowered their leaders by relating them with the beliefs of the...
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...structural weaknesses or other factors that caused the collapse of the Byzantine Empire we must first establish whether its strength was actual of merely perceived strength. Being one of the leading empires in the world, to have survived it must have had real strengths. As it relied heavily on diplomacy instead of fighting in times of military threat it had to have skilful diplomats and efficient administrators. However it is more likely that the increase in military and political strength of its neighbours, such as the Persians, Turks and Arabs was the reason for its eventual collapse, and not its own weaknesses. Although one could look on the contrasting strength of opposing nations, and the lack of progression of Byzantine as a structural weakness of the Empire, therefore contradicting the argument. In the 11th century Byzantine began to degenerate steeply due to a few major factors, its military, economics and the European renaissance. Individually these problems may not have been so costly, and perhaps would have been solvable. However they all occurred in the 11th century, referred to as the 11th century crisis, culminating in an accelerated decline in strength and finally collapse. The Byzantine army was huge, in the 4th century numbering 645,000 soldiers. However although this clearly shows military strength, for the soldiers to be paid tax was very high. As Warren Treadgold states in his book Byzantine and its Army, 284-1081, “In an economy that consisted chiefly of subsistence...
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...had obliterated the Roman Empire in the West. The wisdom of the lost Empire was nothing more than a memory. The Crusades offered endless opportunity and provided exposure the knowledge, culture, and resources that fueled the European progression into the Renaissance; a fortuity that shifted both cultural and religious power in the modern world. By the end of the 10th century, Western Europe was destitute. The inhabitants could not farm their land properly, and soon a cycle of famine, flood, and disease began to dictate the lives of the people. The only surviving institution was the Western Church in Rome. Roman popes soon began to challenge the Byzantine emperors for ultimate control of the church. Tension grew between the two branches of Christianity, which lead to cultural, theological, and irreconcilable differences between the Roman Catholic Church in Western Europe and the Greek Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire (Stalcup, 2000). This event, known as the East-West Schism in 1054, was a precursor to the Protestant Reformation (Stalcup, 2000). Meanwhile, a holy war in Spain between Christian Europeans and Muslims terrorized the outskirts of Rome during the tenth and eleventh centuries. Western Europe became very accustomed to religious war as battles between themselves and against Muslims seemed to plague the Medieval Era. Finally, a plea for help came from the Byzantine Empire. A Turkish clan, named the Seljuks, had invaded Byzantine territory in Asia Minor and...
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...History of Europe Topic: «The Byzantium Gynarchy of the Late VIII: Irene The Athenian» Professors: Vladimir Ryzhkov Elif Demirtiken Saint-Petersburg 2015 The Byzantium Gynarchy of the Late VIII: Irene The Athenian There is no doubt that the Byzantine Empire was one of the greatest civilizations in the world’s history. It lasted approximately 1120 years more than any other empire. Of course, the central figure of the Byzantine statehood was an emperor. However, it would be wrong to claim that they ruled without any external help and support. Here I mean not only the civil servants but also - and especially - emperors’ wives. Empresses, whose status had not been as different from the emperors’ as it might seem, had a significant impact on the empire’s existence. Even though it was an era of androcracy, they influenced the emperors’ decisions and sometimes even replaced them. Was it possible for women to rule the Byzantine Empire solely? Was it legitimate? The exercise of full imperial power by women was of course not common, like in the Western Europe where queens seldom attain power, as power should always be reinforced by army and, consequently, military success1. That does not mean that Byzantine women were somehow different; it is just that men themselves sometimes hired other people to deal with all the military problems. Thus, imperial women could use this tactic as well and entrust different governmental issues to civil servants - eunuchs2....
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...http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-byzantine-art.htm - Source C Byzantine paintings and icons are often recognized for their relatively two-dimensional representations. The emphasis of the artists was not on realism but on forms that could be easily identified to transmit stories from the Bible and Christian history. In this style, painted figures often look stiff and awkward. In some paintings, the subjects appear to be weightless, floating in golden ether. Typically rich in color, Byzantine artists often used deep gold, blues and greens. The use of gold expressed the glory and richness of the faith. Bright colors helped make figures in paintings and mosaics identifiable from a distance. In secular art, those colors helped to distinguish the ranks of the subjects being depicted. For many Byzantine pieces, those colors have withstood centuries of exposure and remain vibrant today. http://archaeology-travel.com/photo-album/byzantine-mosaics-in-the-art-institute-of-chicago/ Mosaic traditions in the Middle East begin in late Antiquity, and one of the largest and best preserved Roman mosaics is the now well-travelled Lod Mosaic found not that long ago in Israel. From the fifth century on, from Syria to Egypt mosaics were used to decorate both religious and secular, public buildings. The tradition comes to an end in the eighth century, after the fall of the Umayyad dynasty in 750: churches fell into disrepair and were later destroyed. The only surviving examples are...
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...scorn an era that they found to be very difficult to survive in. The Dark Ages can be referred to the entire time of the Middle Ages from 500-1500 A.D. or mostly for the early Middle Ages from 500-1000 A.D (Curtis, 1992) (O'Sullivan, 2012). It is also commonly referred to the period of time that accompanied the fall of the Western Roman Empire. When the Western Roman Empire was destroyed, unknowingly many people were going to begin to engage in a practice and experience devastating changes in their lives. Fewer career opportunities, literacy, and education were just the beginning of the fall. Cities then became smaller in size because the Roman Empire wasn’t able to provide the Roman tax revenues to maintain the services. Society inadvertently prepared to emerge in modernity through the preservation of classical literature and scripture. Over time education and literacy was mostly offered to the ministry. Christianity itself remained to spread East throughout the lands. During this time, most of the old crafts and arts were destroyed or lost. During the time known as the dark ages the population was declining. After the Roman Empire buckled, many people became infected with the plague that had broken out and these people experienced climate changes that eventually reduced the growth of cultivation. Tons of lives were lost during this time. The population of people turned poor and resulted...
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...* Question 1 0 out of 0.2 points | | | What is Rashid al-Din known for? | | | | | Selected Answer: | B. The only staunchly Jewish official in the Mongol Empire | Answers: | A. The military leader that brought down the Mamluks | | B. The only staunchly Jewish official in the Mongol Empire | | C. Policies that reversed the relationship between China and Iran | | D. The leader who shifted the ideological basis of the Mongol Empire in Iran from Chinggis to an emphasis on Islam | | | | | * Question 2 0 out of 0.2 points | | | What did Pope Gregory VII seek to do in the investiture controversy? | | | | | Selected Answer: | B. To ensure that all tithes would be paid directly to the papacy | Answers: | A. To start a rebellion among German princes against the Spanish monarch | | B. To ensure that all tithes would be paid directly to the papacy | | C. To take power away from monarchs in appointing church leaders | | D. To reestablish the church's authority in all matters of doctrine | | | | | * Question 3 0 out of 0.2 points | | | Who were the lowest in the social hierarchy in Yuan China? | | | | | Selected Answer: | C. Europeans | Answers: | A. Southern Chinese | | B. Muslims | | C. Europeans | | D. Mongols | | | | | * Question 4 0.2 out of 0.2 points | | | In which country did Pope Urban urge the people to force out all Muslims? | | | | | Selected Answer: | C. Spain...
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...of the greatest Byzantine rulers, who worked to establish more land and destroy the Empire’s enemies. (976-1025) One of his greatest endeavors was the conquest of Bulgaria. This was the last land grab of significance that the Empire saw. Soon after his rule the Empire collapsed. He was known for many things, but most importantly for his conquest of Bulgaria. Basil II inherited the throne in 963 at the age of three. The empire was run by a court eunuch named Basil the Chamberlain until Basil II was old enough to rule. After a while the eunuch began making decrees and ruling the area as if he had become the emperor. Before Basil II could take the throne the Chamberlain attempted to have the young, soon to be emperor tried for treason. However, before turning eighteen, with the support of the army, Basil II was able to take the throne and have Basil the Chamberlain stripped of their land and exiled. Upon taking the throne Basil II was faced with a serious issue, the Bulgars. This problem arose when Khan Krum, nicknamed the Horrible, brought the tribes of Bulgaria together to unite under one flag. After uniting the Bulgarians then conquered a large area of land around the Balkans while fighting and winning against three Byzantine rulers.1 The Bulgarians had become a huge problem for the empire that needed to be dealt with. When Basil II took the throne, the leadership of Bulgaria shifted to Khan Samuel. The Bulgarians were slowly growing in power and would raid Byzantine cities, killing...
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...Middle Ages began when Western Roman Empire collapsed. Byzantine and Islamic appeared before the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages is the middle period of three traditional division of Western history: early, the high, and the late Middle Ages. Middle Ages is an important part of Western Civilization. It through many different period of time of the Middle Ages helps Western Civilization development economy and political. Each period of Middle Ages affect to how Civilization changes and growth. Western Civilization had more strong and created many intellect men. Also, the last Pagan Europe was converted to Christianity with the Baltic people in the High Middle Ages, bringing them to Western Civilization as well. I. Byzantine and Islamic influence A. Byzantine influence In the textbook Humanities in the Western Tradition, First Edition Marvin Perry, Baruch College, City University of New York, Emeritus J. Wayne Baker, University of Akron Pamela Pfeiffer Hollinger, the University of Akron that discussion Byzantine and Islamic their cultural contribution to Western Civilization. * “The Byzantine and Islam have in common” by contributing writer that almost 700 years Byzantine and Islamic cultural fought the remains of the Roman Empire, but they also hared many cultural political and artistic that shape their societies in many ways. * Advantage: * Byzantine cultural contributions to Western Civilization Byzantine developed vital economy, sophisticated...
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