Introducing 

Prezi AI.

Your new presentation assistant.

Refine, enhance, and tailor your content, source relevant images, and edit visuals quicker than ever before.

Loading content…
Transcript

In Conclusion...

  • Weak rulers resulted in letting corrupted advisers take over and rule the empire.
  • Slave system allowed for corruption in high places, such as the military and other administrations.
  • Offices became a hereditary; this provided the empire with weak, unintelligent and greedy officials.
  • Military personnel had to work outside of the army to get money; this weakened the army's discipline and training.
  • Local administration was soon run by landowning elites who sought the position for their own benefits over the land.

Beginning of the Decline

The Military Causes Corruption

  • The policy of eliminating unruly princes to the throne was abandoned and replaced with the Cage system.

  • In the Cage system, the heirs were confined to the Harem and did not receive training fit for a Sultan to rule properly.

  • Rulers became weak due to this system, and this allowed corruption among advisers and counselors. (Basically the Sultans were too dumb to realize they were being "overruled" by their advisers).

*Left: Sultan Suleyman; there were 17 sultans after him, each ruling for roughing 13 years.*

Diagram of the Ruling System

  • Before, the army was paid by gaining new territories.

  • There was a halt on expanding the Ottoman Empire, and this was really bad. It meant the state had to fully pay the army. But the problem was there was hardly any money left; it had to be saved in case there was an economic crisis.

  • Soldiers were able to get jobs outside of the military to support themselves because the army couldn't pay them.

  • Officials in the Janissaries were allowed to marry and their titles were passed on to their sons; this also weakened the army.

Even more problems!

Aiding the Fall: Slaves and Officials

  • Central appointments, (which used to be based on skill level and merit) were now a thing of the past. If you had enough money and influence, you got in.
  • They turned to the local notables and created a landowning class, (started by urban elites); the local administration was left with little control, and landowning class gained the most power.
  • Slaves provided personnel to help the military and administration of the empire. This was called the Slave System.
  • This proved to help the empire for a while. However, the slave were able to gain almost total power, and these people allowed for corruption.
  • Offices actually were bought and "went on sale". They would buy the position and then raise the taxes to reimburse themselves.
  • Bribery, favoritism, and nepotism were other factors of corruption.

Corruption of Officials in the Ottoman Empire

Learn more about creating dynamic, engaging presentations with Prezi