—Meredith Townsend in “Asia and Europe.”
[Pg 31]
We cannot trace here the story of the rise and spread of Islam from its cradle in Arabia to the period of its greatest virility10 in 1529, when all Europe trembled at its onward11 sweep and conquest. We can speak only of the rise of the Ottoman empire that has been perpetuated12 in unbroken succession to the present time.
Near the middle of the thirteenth century a tribe of Turks, not Suljuks, left their camping-grounds in Khorassan, urged on by the Mongol invaders13, and wandered into Armenia. This tribe was divided into four sections; one of these, led by Ertogrul, went into Asia Minor14, and there became allied15 with Aladdin the Suljukian, sultan of Iconium. He settled upon the borders of Phrygia and Bithynia and there his son Othman, or Osman, who became the founder16 of a dynasty and an empire, was born and nurtured17. The name “Ottoman Empire” or “Osmanli Turks” came from him. The name “Othman” signifies “bone-breaker.”
The young man succeeded his father as the head of the tribe. He united in his character the traits of shepherd, freebooter, and warrior18. Osman’s ambition was fired by a dream of conquest that seated him upon the Byzantine throne. He was upon the border of the decaying Greek empire to the west, and back of him were the vast, restless populations ready to enlist19 under any leader of strength and action. He invaded Nicomedia July 27, 1299, from which time his reign6 is usually dated. This was parallel with Edward I of England, Philip the Fair of France, [Pg 32] and Andronicus Palæologus the elder of Constantinople. Slow encroachment20 was made upon the imperial domains21 of the Greek empire, while at the same time his authority was extended over considerable districts in the north and west of Asia Minor, including large parts of Phrygia, Galatia, and Bithynia. Prusa (Brusa) was captured and became the residence of Othman, and was the seat of his government when he died in 1326.
Othman was succeeded by Orchan, his son, who extended the boundaries of the infant state with marked rapidity. He took Nicæa, the rest of Bithynia, the greater part of Mysia, and was the first Turkish ruler to pass over into Europe. He coined money in his own name, and assumed the prerogatives22 of royalty23, and began the systematic24 organization of his government. A permanent military force was established. One of his strongest military organizations was composed of the children of conquered Christians25 who were reared in Islam, inured26 from their youth to the profession of arms. These became the famous Janissaries perpetuated in the conquests of the Turkish government until the middle of the nineteenth century. They were distinguished27 for their valor28 and fanaticism. Through more than three centuries, marked by a long series of great battles, they experienced only four signal reverses. One of these was by Tamerlane, in 1402, and another by the Hungarian general, John Huniades, in 1442. The present methods of administration of the Ottoman empire are due in no small measure to the despotic nature and fanatical character of the Janissaries. Their assumption finally reached such a state that it became necessary to extirpate29 them by the sword to prevent their exercise of authority over the sultans themselves. This was accomplished30 by Mohammed II in 1826. [Pg 33]
Amurath I succeeded Orchan in 1359. He began at once to make advance against the Greek throne, which was much weakened by its schismatic separation from the Roman church. In 1361 he took Adrianople in Europe and made it his official residence, and the first European capital of the Ottoman power. His successor, Bajazet I, changed the title of “Emir” for that of “Sultan,” which name has been perpetuated. He set the example, followed so repeatedly since, of putting his only brother to death in order that he might not aspire31 to the throne. He extended his domains east to the Euphrates and north to the Danube. He boasted that he would yet feed his horses on the altar of St. Peter’s in Rome. He was captured by Tamerlane in 1402, dying the following year in captivity32. Tamerlane held undisputed sway over Asia for a few years. A son of Bajazet, Mahomet I, restored the empire of his fathers in its integrity. It was during his reign, 1413-21, that the first Turkish ambassador appeared abroad. He was sent to Venice. The sultan himself paid a visit to the emperor Manuel at Constantinople.
Without dwelling33 upon the successive sultans and the advances made by each, it is sufficient to record that most important of all the victories, the capture of Constantinople, the capital of the Greek empire, by Mohammed II, the seventh in succession from Othman, on May 29, 1453, in the second year of his reign. This terminated the Greek empire, 1123 years after Constantine the Great had removed his imperial throne to Byzantium, changing its name to Constantinople. Consternation34 prevailed among the European nations, especially in those immediately contiguous to the Mohammedan empire.
From that time to the present day, Constantinople has been the [Pg 34] residence of the sultans ruling over the Ottoman empire, and the seat of the Turkish power. Much of the machinery36 of government now in use was organized and put into operation by Mohammed II. The administrative37 departments were constituted in what was then called “The Porte,” while the head of the department was given the well-known name of “Sublime Porte.” This name came from the metaphorical38 resemblance between a state and a house or tent. The most important part of the tent was the entrance in which the chiefs sat for the administration of justice, as well as for the performance of other duties.
Mohammed died in 1481. Succeeding sultans for a century seriously threatened the institutions of Western nations. In the religious conflicts of the sixteenth century the pope of Rome was undecided which to fear the more, the Protestants or the Turks.
The Ottoman empire reached the zenith of its power under Suliman, the tenth sultan, whose reign was the longest in the annals of the empire, from 1520-1566. He is often known in Europe as Suliman “the great” or “the magnificent,” but Moslem39 writers name him “the lawgiver.” In 1525 the French ambassador appeared at the Ottoman court. The first European states to stipulate40 regular capitulations with the Porte were Genoa and Venice, which accomplished this in 1453 and 1454 respectively. These were confirmed and enlarged by succeeding sovereigns to 1733. France next secured capitulations in 1528, which were afterwards amplified41, renewed, and confirmed down to 1861. The first treaty relations of England with Turkey were in 1579. Other European nations followed in orderly succession, until the United States concluded its first treaty at Constantinople, May 7, 1830, which was ratified42 at Washington, Feb. 4, 1832. [Pg 35]
At the beginning of the seventeenth century the Ottoman empire covered Europe, Macedonia, Adrianople, Greece, and the greater part of Hungary, while in Asia it held all of Asia Minor, Armenia, Georgia, Daghestan, the western part of Koordistan, Mesopotamia, Syria, Cyprus, and the chief part of Arabia. In Africa, Egypt, Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers acknowledged allegiance to the sultan at Constantinople; and the khanate of Crimea, the principalities of Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania with the republic of Ragusa were vassal43 states. Diplomatic and commercial relations had been established between the Porte and the leading European nations. From that time the great power then possessed44 began to wane45.
Fundamentally the laws of Turkey are based upon the teachings of the Koran. The only restraint upon the acts of the sultan are the accepted truths of Islam as laid down in the sacred book of the prophet Mohammed. Next to the Koran the authority is a code of laws formed of the supposed sayings and opinions of Mohammed, and of sentences and decisions of his immediate35 successors. These are called the “Multeka,” and are binding46 upon both the sovereign and his subjects. Beyond these the will of the man who occupies the throne of the Ottoman empire is absolute and must be unquestioned by every subject.
The sultan, therefore, is at the head of every department of government, amenable47 to no laws except the law of the Koran. He appoints two high dignitaries,—the grand vizier, to be the nominal48 head of the temporal government, and the Sheik-ul-Islam, to be the head of the spiritual government. The Sheik-ul-Islam presides over the “Ulema,” a body made up of the Mohammedan clergy49, the great judges, theologians, and jurists, as well as the noted50 teachers of Mohammedan literature and science. [Pg 36]
There is no constitution to exercise directing influence over either the sultan or his subordinates. The grand vizier is nominally51 at the head of the government and represents the sultan. At the present time he has come to be only the agent of the sultan in carrying out his wishes, having little authority to act independently. The privy52 council, over which the grand vizier presides, is composed of the following officials or cabinet officers:
Sheik-ul-Islam
Minister of Justice
“ “ War
“ “ Marines
President of the Council of State
Minister of Foreign Affairs
“ “ the Interior
“ “ Finance
“ “ Pious53 Foundations
“ “ Public Instruction
“ “ Commerce and Public Works
The whole of the country is divided into vilayets or states, and these are subdivided54 into sanjaks or provinces, which, in turn, are also divided and subdivided. The ruler in a vilayet is a vali or governor-general, who receives his appointment directly from the sultan, and who, with the assistance of a provincial55 council, is master of the vilayet. He has power over the inferior officers of his district, whom, theoretically at least, he appoints and removes at will. There are eight of these vilayets in Europe, eleven in Asia, five in Armenia, three in Mesopotamia, six in Syria, two in Arabia, and two in Africa, making thirty-seven in all. The man at the head of each one of these states, averaging a population of about 700,000 souls each, is accountable to the sultan alone for his position and to him he makes constant secret reports. These valis are frequently recalled and more [Pg 37] frequently changed from place to place by orders issued directly from the throne. In this way the sultan controls all parts of his dominions56 and personally determines the character of the administration. All policies carried out in any part of the empire are his own and cannot be otherwise under present conditions. [Pg 38]
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1 moribund | |
adj.即将结束的,垂死的 | |
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2 tolerance | |
n.宽容;容忍,忍受;耐药力;公差 | |
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3 civilized | |
a.有教养的,文雅的 | |
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4 precipitating | |
adj.急落的,猛冲的v.(突如其来地)使发生( precipitate的现在分词 );促成;猛然摔下;使沉淀 | |
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5 fanaticism | |
n.狂热,盲信 | |
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6 reign | |
n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
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7 abstemious | |
adj.有节制的,节俭的 | |
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8 treasury | |
n.宝库;国库,金库;文库 | |
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9 repudiation | |
n.拒绝;否认;断绝关系;抛弃 | |
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10 virility | |
n.雄劲,丈夫气 | |
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11 onward | |
adj.向前的,前进的;adv.向前,前进,在先 | |
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12 perpetuated | |
vt.使永存(perpetuate的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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13 invaders | |
入侵者,侵略者,侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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14 minor | |
adj.较小(少)的,较次要的;n.辅修学科;vi.辅修 | |
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15 allied | |
adj.协约国的;同盟国的 | |
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16 Founder | |
n.创始者,缔造者 | |
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17 nurtured | |
养育( nurture的过去式和过去分词 ); 培育; 滋长; 助长 | |
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18 warrior | |
n.勇士,武士,斗士 | |
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19 enlist | |
vt.谋取(支持等),赢得;征募;vi.入伍 | |
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20 encroachment | |
n.侵入,蚕食 | |
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21 domains | |
n.范围( domain的名词复数 );领域;版图;地产 | |
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22 prerogatives | |
n.权利( prerogative的名词复数 );特权;大主教法庭;总督委任组成的法庭 | |
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23 royalty | |
n.皇家,皇族 | |
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24 systematic | |
adj.有系统的,有计划的,有方法的 | |
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25 Christians | |
n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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26 inured | |
adj.坚强的,习惯的 | |
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27 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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28 valor | |
n.勇气,英勇 | |
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29 extirpate | |
v.除尽,灭绝 | |
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30 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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31 aspire | |
vi.(to,after)渴望,追求,有志于 | |
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32 captivity | |
n.囚禁;被俘;束缚 | |
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33 dwelling | |
n.住宅,住所,寓所 | |
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34 consternation | |
n.大为吃惊,惊骇 | |
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35 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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36 machinery | |
n.(总称)机械,机器;机构 | |
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37 administrative | |
adj.行政的,管理的 | |
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38 metaphorical | |
a.隐喻的,比喻的 | |
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39 Moslem | |
n.回教徒,穆罕默德信徒;adj.回教徒的,回教的 | |
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40 stipulate | |
vt.规定,(作为条件)讲定,保证 | |
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41 amplified | |
放大,扩大( amplify的过去式和过去分词 ); 增强; 详述 | |
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42 ratified | |
v.批准,签认(合约等)( ratify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43 vassal | |
n.附庸的;属下;adj.奴仆的 | |
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44 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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45 wane | |
n.衰微,亏缺,变弱;v.变小,亏缺,呈下弦 | |
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46 binding | |
有约束力的,有效的,应遵守的 | |
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47 amenable | |
adj.经得起检验的;顺从的;对负有义务的 | |
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48 nominal | |
adj.名义上的;(金额、租金)微不足道的 | |
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49 clergy | |
n.[总称]牧师,神职人员 | |
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50 noted | |
adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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51 nominally | |
在名义上,表面地; 应名儿 | |
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52 privy | |
adj.私用的;隐密的 | |
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53 pious | |
adj.虔诚的;道貌岸然的 | |
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54 subdivided | |
再分,细分( subdivide的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55 provincial | |
adj.省的,地方的;n.外省人,乡下人 | |
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56 dominions | |
统治权( dominion的名词复数 ); 领土; 疆土; 版图 | |
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