How The Ottomans Became So Powerful | History Documentary

At the start of the 14th century, the political landscape of Anatolia was comprised of a mosaic of small principalities, referred to as beyliks. Out of all of these, the most unlikely candidate, the beylik of Osman, situated in the hinterlands of northwestern Anatolia, was the one that asserted its dominance above all the others. Within less than 100 yrs, it metamorphosed in a power whose reach spanned both Asia and Europe. So just how did the smallest beylik, situated on the frontier with the Byzantine Empire, go on to assert itself as the most dominant beylik in Anatolia and even conquer much of the Balkans?
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0:00 Intro
0:58 Ghaza Thesis
3:59 Weakness of Opponents
5:51 Ottoman Competence
10:33 Frontier
14:03 Conclusion

[@HikmaHistory]

For the complete Ottoman History Playlist, here is the link: kzbin.info/aero/PLiPhmAD3I2JwfrPNqbDrZEEp3DQucqlZA

[@timurthejerk9270]

I feel you and Knowledgia are some of the best channels for all things Ottoman (of course you guys also do work outside of that}

[@death-istic9586]

Love your videos!💚

[@christiandauz3742]

Too bad the Byzantines didn't Industrialized back in the 5th century Had they done so they would have conquered Asia and the Turks!!!

[@HistoryOfRevolutions]

Poem by Sulaiman the magnificent: "The people think of wealth and power as the greatest fate, But in this world, a spell of health is the best state. What men call sovereignty is worldly strife and constant war; Worship of God is the highest throne, the happiest of all estates"

[@timurthejerk9270]

As a long time subscriber of yours I can see how much you’ve improved over the years. This is incredible quality, not to say your other videos aren’t great (loved the Skanderbeg threeway collab}. I can’t wait to see what you have in store next.

[@HikmaHistory]

Appreciate the love, 2024 is going to be a big year for Hikma History!

[@gerryperdigon152]

Yup love this channel

[@theawesomeman9821]

The fact that the Ottomans established an empire on three continents is impressive

[@Thewonderingminds]

Xa!!!!! Exact parallel to Ottoman establishment is that of the American continent, where the invaders were greeted as gods. The Ottomans encountered peoples entangled and wholly absorbed with after endeavors, and no, non, zero, drive to fight.

[@2livenoob]

You are wrong. The formation of the US was very different. American's defeated Britan (twice) defeated Mexico and Spain, and defeated the Native American's who were warriors to the bone.@@Thewonderingminds

[@Thewonderingminds]

Apparently you have totally misunderstood my point. What matters is the end result . @@2livenoob

[@2livenoob]

You said greeted as gods. The native Americas absolute hated the British colonist and tried to starve them out. They had to be forced at gun point to teach them how to make corn. I' can't make out your point then. @@Thewonderingminds

[@Thewonderingminds]

look , Hate, Starve out, gun point, brings no positive result//brought nothing . Sure enough on this issue, we are on different mind set, and that again is of end result . @@2livenoob

[@PakBallandSami]

Note: Osman became the prince of the border principality that conquered Byzantine Bithynia in northwest Anatolia near Bursa after the Mongols ultimately defeated the Seljuqs in 1293. He led the ghazis against the Byzantines in that region. With the more potent Turkmen principality of Germiyan enclosing him from the east, Osman and his immediate successors focused their attacks on Byzantine lands along the Bosporus and the Sea of Marmara on the west.

[@mussyeg]

Ottomans probably had the greatest string of early rulers.

[@HikmaHistory]

It is legendary that their first 10 or so rulers were almost all very competent!

[@kmmmsyr9883]

Cemal Kafadar's book, "Between Two Worlds" is one of the best things I've read in my life. Definitely recommend it for anyone interested in Ottoman history.

[@hungama2492]

Is it easy or tough

[@kmmmsyr9883]

@@hungama2492 I think it was easy to understand, but you might want to read some introductory books before reading it. If you already have a general basic understanding of Ottoman history tho, go for it.

[@gladijator4sarajevo]

Thank you for your efforts. The video is very interesting and informative

[@Kierkergaarder]

Awesome video as always, thank you Tariq.

[@unusualhistorian1336]

Great as always! Keep it up!

[@waheed4648]

Great video thanks

[@aaryantejus1491]

Thanks Hikma history for your guidance provide more knowledge on the medieval era

[@Sempermortis84]

Great video. I also found the book Osman's dream a great read.

[@sankarchaya]

My preferred theory is that the epic hats of the early ottomans wowed their rivals into submission

[@cliffgulliver4626]

Great video. Thx.

[@hc3d]

Very interesting. Looking forward to the upcoming Ottoman content.

[@ElyasBinYahya]

Great video

[@smilinghanuman6785]

I've been looking for a proper video for the ottoman rise since a year now. Most of the videos focus on the fall beacsuebit is more contemporary well done mate

[@mroshany1281]

❤❤❤very very informative.thanks❤❤

[@HikmaHistory]

🙏

[@yb6715]

Quality content

[@charliem5254]

This was a good length.

[@masahibbhatti4088]

Love the videos keep them coming !

[@tadeasvecerak4627]

Hey, i really like your video, could you please post your sources in the description? I am currently writing a paper on ottoman decline and the eastern question, and would some recommendations of literature

[@ragael1024]

shorter? make it longer, mate. fascinating history.

[@al-qadi3427]

If anyone's interested in hardcore Ottoman military history and warfare I strongly recommend Schwerpunkt's videos series

[@Aceo_0]

Your videos of early moder and modern history is impressive. Here's a request. Make a video about crucial pacts and conferences that shaped the Islamic countries. Sykes picot, Franco_Lebanese treaty, Bonn agreement, treaty of Lausanne, etc.

[@mohammadahsan9340]

Hi, really appreciate your work . I'm a student of history, i am researching the Ottoman history through the lens of ibne khaldun.. a thought occurred to me .. The jannisaries were salaried, salary decreases asabiyyah the ottomans countered that with a patrimonial close knit system maintaining social cohesion henece increased asabiyyah. Which troubled them later on. Couldn't they have used the diversity of the corps to decrease asabiyyah a bit when needed?

[@HikmaHistory]

I'd say it's important to bear in mind that the decline of the Janissaries took place over multiple decades; in real time, such developments are difficult to recognise (especially when that problem was part of a wider rot inside Ottoman administration, it becomes even harder). I don't know if this answers your question haha

[@SafavidAfsharid3197]

Please make a video about relationship between Mughals and Ottomans. I also heard The Zand emperor sent a latter of alliance to Marathas against the Afghans, is it true?

[@wasigupitobudiarto7767]

With Allah's help anything is possible. the considered weak, uncivilized nation will change into world dominance if the people really embrace Islam in their life

[@Octopanda55]

Cooking and learning about history

[@finn6492]

shorter? i though the video ended too soon

[@McVaySwifty]

Love this historiographical focus!

[@gamevoltage6404]

the video having a duration of 15:17 is such a good coincidence

[@leonscharizard6991]

It is approximately 100 years since the Khilafa fell. 3rd March 1924.

[@HikmaHistory]

I find it crazy that was ONLY 100 years ago - they were truly impressive in their longevity!

[@yenilikci5682]

In effect, the Khilafa fell much earlier when Turkish lands were invaded by Muslim boots under British flags.

[@leonscharizard6991]

@yenilikci5682 could you clarify please? I don't understand what you are referring to.

[@yenilikci5682]

@@leonscharizard6991 The earliest time could be the war of 1807-1809. But it definitely was dead by WW1. The Caliph called *All Muslims* to Jihad against the British, the Ummah instead fought against us. Algerians under French flags, Libyans under Italian flags, Indians and Arabs under English flags.

[@leonscharizard6991]

@@yenilikci5682 oh yes you are correct in the sense that they de facto had less power but were still technically in power until the abdication of caliph in 1924. The CUP party was a catalyst to the downfall of the khilafa.

[@jihadao]

Shorter? This video could’ve been longer and I assure you, we’d all watch.

[@HikmaHistory]

Appreciate that!

[@saadshoaib901]

Golden times

[@lerneanlion]

While this video is very informative about how the Beylik of Osmanli rose to power, it also leads to another question as well. And that question is why the Karamanids cannot do the same? If one was present at that time and look at what Anatolia was like during that time, most peoples will believed that the Karamanids will be the most likely candiate as the new Islamic superpower, especially after the fracture of the Timurid Empire. But we all know that did not happen but we never know why. And that is the point of this question. Why the Karamanids failed but the Ottomans succeeded?

[@ochomunna270]

I think it has to do with the will power of the Osmanlis to fill the power vacuum. Most beyliks(like the Karamanids) are content with their place in their nation/province, but the Ottomans were more ambitious and simply wanted more. Sort of how Lord Genghis' ambition for more led him an illiterate mongol commoner, to unite the mongol tribes into a horde and lead them to create an empire under his mandate of heaven(which was just his ambition to dominate afterall) and was a driving force for his descendants thereafter. Same for the Ottomans I guess, they wanted more whereas their Karamanid neighbors were content. The willpower of humans to dominate has led to empires and conquerors over time. From Alexander the Great taking his father Phillip's Macedonian Phalanx to conquer the world because he(Alexander) wanted more. To Julius Ceasar who idolized Alexander the Great and himself taking the Roman military machine to heights previously unseen and establishing Roman hegemony over the world at that time, simply because he(Ceasar) wanted more like his idol. The sheer will to see out a mission to it's conclusion no matter what. Something the Ottomans understood and even styled themselves "Ceasars and successors to the ancient Roman Empire" after the defeat of Byzantium. Pretty much follows the same pattern for all empires.

[@muscledavis5434]

I love the Ottoman empire! They certainly stand where the big ones of history are! And they have some of my favourite architecture too🤩

[@freethinkmafia1672]

Really was a Chad Level strategy by Orhan and Murad to start basing in Europe.

[@zxera9702]

Ottomans are a lot like Romans in so many ways.Both seemingly insignificant entities whom noone expected dominating everything one day i mean by all odds they should've fallen very early on but they didn't. History sometimes repeats so ironically it's scary.

[@schoolofgrowthhacking]

Both of them became empires by taking a lot of slaves. The Romans put the slaves to work, the Turks mated with them and turned the boys into soldiers. Btw, slavery continued in Turkey well into the 20th century.

[@celdur4635]

The fact that the Eastern Romans couldn't stop having civil wars for decades helped the Ottos.

[@irreview]

The video should have been longer! Not shorter!

[@johannesandersson9477]

Is that Swedish king Karl XII at 2:35?

[@Hasanbas-rv3vm]

Watch ottoman refugees swedish emperror kings and generals video 😊

[@Shimra8888]

Did the brother of Orhan, his Vizier continue his lineage to the end of the Ottoman Empire? Were they considered a parallel line or succession and nobles?

[@BigOsmani]

Sadly All'adin Pasha passed away before Orhan. May Allah reward him for his amazing work as a vizier during Oehan Gazi's magnificent reign.

[@kimimiey2206]

Ottoman empire come back

[@danieldpa8484]

The weakness of Byzantium created a new power capitalising on the old knowledge of the romans - it can be said the ottomans were just another incarnation of the Roman Empire, as much as did the Spanish and French and Russians. All of them with their own twist how to run things.

[@y.israel922]

No one knew Africa 🌍 Better than the African

[@andrewselvo7878]

I always believed in a “Diet Ghaza” Thesis. I took a class on Ottoman History as well as read on my own, and my impression is that Islam served as a “glue” that kept the state cohesive (“asabiya” if you like Ibn Khaldun) through all these compromises. Spreading Islam seemed like a “light at the end of the tunnel”, that could be compromised in the short term as long as it was a goal in the long term. In many ways this also seems like Spain before finishing the reconquista, which itself compromised with many factions and faiths in the Iberian peninsula until the Fall of Granada allowed the state to stop compromising and assert Catholic supremacy. A Sunni re-entrenchment happened after the rise of the Safavids as well with the Ottomans, although obviously not in the same aggressive way as in Spain. Perhaps that it also another important date for the end of the “frontier synthesis” in Ottoman state-craft.

[@IAmTheOnlyLucas]

I like how Muhammad was stern in his assertion that “any likeness of God’s creatures is strictly forbidden.” Meanwhile the Ottomans and Mughals heard that and essentially said “yeah okay anyway I painted this, look!”

[@dylanarslanian1724]

You’re right. There is really nothing Islamic about the Ottoman Empire.

[@maankaabe]

"O Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided. Forgive us with those whom You have forgiven. Unite us with those whom You have united. Bless what You have bestowed upon us. Protect us from the evil of what You have destined. You indeed decree and none can decree over You. He whom You have supported shall never be humbled, and he whom You have opposed shall never be exalted. How blessed You are, our Lord, and how exalted! We seek Your forgiveness and turn to You. May Allah's blessings and peace be upon the noble Prophet. O Allah, forgive us, men and women, believers and Muslims. Unite their hearts, mend their affairs, and grant them victory over Your enemies and theirs. O Allah, frustrate their efforts, shake their feet, and send down upon them Your punishment, which You never withhold from a criminal people. This dua is known as the Qunoot-e-Hasan, a supplication recited during the Witr prayer. It is a powerful plea for guidance, forgiveness, protection, and victory against enemies. It emphasizes the power and sovereignty of Allah SWT and the need for His mercy and forgiveness.

[@turkcukayi]

I am from Kastamonu region on the map of Türkiye. Isfendiar is written in the wrong place on the map. Because İsfendiar was a Turkmen beylik centered in Kastamonu.

[@Big007Boss]

When will historians drop the use of the term “ Byzantine “ that never existed at the time

[@Shimra8888]

Who was stronger? The Ottomans or Ming China? Could the Ottomans have fought off the Japanese samurai during the Imjin War?

[@Mustafahaj1608]

I am lebanese and palestinian and I love the turkish kaliphate. Such a better situation than the last 100years. Inshallah we will have a united ummah again.

[@Baummann1]

لا الله

[@e.a9751]

لماذا ​@@Baummann1

[@theuniverse5173]

Hi

[@Blaztoize]

I watch these videos wishing I would have lived through biblical times

[@2livenoob]

So, it's okay when they do it to other countries, but when it happens to them it's a problem?

[@beepboop204]

[@maanch47]

In the law of wars in islam it is forbidden to convert non muslims with force abd damage any religious sites

[@Houthiandtheblowfish]

8:40 persian poetry such a loss when ataturk latinized and wanted to get rid of their eastern identity

[@hakanbaybars4435]

phuck poorsian poetry

[@mrmr446]

The Ottomans Khans, Caesars and Caliphs by Marc David Baer is a good overview that points out that the Ottomans were seen as European by other European powers when they were at their height but this changed with the decline and imperialism.

[@bertrecht913]

Not really 😅 Turks are asian and the Ottoman Empire was definitely not a european Empire...

[@mrmr446]

@@bertrecht913 You could try reading a book before giving a review. Africa used to mean the area of what's now Tunisia, Asia used to mean Anatolia, the meanings of words changes over time.

[@bertrecht913]

@@mrmr446 I know but the Ottoman Empire was never an european power and turks are asians. The language, culture and mentality are clearly asian.

[@mrmr446]

@@bertrecht913 Thought this might be a difficult concept for some to grasp- when the empire was at its' height most of the population was in Europe geographically, the capital was the largest city in Europe. No such thing as 'Asian' mentality and the continent has many cultures, always has.

[@bertrecht913]

@@mrmr446Everything right but turks are still asians... doesn't matter if your main territories and capital lies in Europe but your main people are non europeans, speak a non european language and even their alphabet was mostly influence by arabic alphabet and their ancestors are invaders from central asian and mentality is - believe or not, still a thing.

[@umvhu]

This is contrary to my understanding of the Ottoman Empire and to my experience on a historical tour through parts of Turkey.

[@MagogTheMagnificent]

Narrator sounds like Ali G 😂

[@HikmaHistory]

I need to make an official count of how many times people have commented that!

[@reeyees50]

Opportunistic rulers, learned from a thousand year of byzantine example

[@alexander63736]

In a way, if not for neighbouring the Byzantines, they probably would not thrive.

[@bigsarge2085]

✌✌

[@bisharGellowMahad]

While ottoman was spreading islam,arab were spreading Their language and culture.no former ottoman vasal speaks Turkish today but everywhere Umayyad reached today speak Arabic including the entire north Africa.im glad that Umayyad failed to reach our land in horn of Africa

[@ralevujic]

Unfortunately just another plain and old essay on Ottoman Empire. Even though the Ottomans treated their christian population,,better” than other dynasties and countries of the time, they did that because of the large christian population inside their territory. Most probably they did that in tradition with post Rumelian turkish states. When Ottomans conquered the Balkan states, they enslaved a lot of population and created the Janissary legions out of Christian minors. The emipire was built on muslim, roman and latin grounds, with mongol army and muslim codes. This video is precise and true within a certain limit.

[@nezperce2767]

Well you might find them at the doorstep of Vienna once more just for the third time offering the unique culture of ignorance illiteracy adoption of everything that could hold on while doing nothing and raiding everything

[@LimeyRedneck]

🤠💜

[@jason4275]

How The Ottomans Became So Powerful, Same as the Persian army, an army of vassal states aka an army of slaves.

[@RoscoPColtrane17]

Cockroaches are one of the most successful species of animals

[@HistorydeFacto]

Eh sorry but you created a strawman ghaza thesis to argue against in your video. Ghaza does not necessarily mean butchering or force converting the Christians, never fighting other Muslims or following orthodox sunni islam. Neither can you bring any credible sources to back your claim on early Ottomans having "many" Christian soldiers and administrators. Ghaza thesis explains very well why Ottomans managed to rise among other Turkic statelets in Anatolia. Similar to Mongol expansions, nomadic Turks required constant loot and expansion, and Anatolia was already conquered by the nomads. Early Ottomans seems to have combined the steppe expansionism with Islam, which is what we usually mean by "Ghaza". Ottomans managed to gather these nomadic Turkic tribesmen by offering the riches and the wealth of Christian Europe and Western Anatolia. This is why we had an Ottoman Empire, as opposed to a Karamanid Empire.

[@____2080_____]

1:37 I have no confidence in a European historian writing at the disintegration of the Automan Empire decade, earlier, defining how the Ottomans got started. We make the mistake of not understanding Islam, and how it actually got started, mostly at the first modern Mecca of 1919, and not understanding the historical factors of how that religion formed, especially since the Quran was first published in the 20th century. Such ideas are understanding that the Ottomans actually existed hundreds of years earlier and are the chief rivals of the Roman empire and were the ones who drove them out of Constantinople/Istanbul, as well as drove them out of the mediterranean. In framing history, in this way, we don’t appreciate how this power, this world empire was essentially a continuation of the forces that tried to re-create the Roman Empire In other words, the forces of the Roman empire that became Christianity versus the forces of the Roman Empire that became the Arab world (the concept of a mirror, small ethnic group that helped the British after the fall of the Ottomans and has emerged as a descriptive term of everyone within the near east African region)

[@AndrewLambert-wi8et]

THEY WERE POWERFUL UNTIL A FEW HUNDRED MEN ON ISLAND OF MALTA CHALLENGED THEM.

[@redrum187Blade]

A few hundred men 😂😂😂 of Malta only Fight against Ottomans,, but Ottomans fight against a World of enemies,,, Malta was only a little enemy,, and thank Our tolerance cause as Ottoman conquered Rhodos, they allowed the Christian Fighters to Go to Malta,, when they wanted they could kill all of them, but Ottomans were not so evil Like the europeans....

[@angelcamachodelsolar]

@@redrum187Blade The Knights Hospitaller went to Malta in 1529, 7 years after being expelled from Rhodes (1522) because Emperor Charles V gave it to them as property. The Ottoman Empire then tried to take Malta in 1565, but was completely defeated. It has nothing to do with tolerance.

[@mirceaenea1637]

Wrong map. Romania was never in OtomAn Empire! Was vasal but never army ,never turk mosque in Romania. We build first mosque for turks minority only when Romania was complete independent.

[@bolsa3136]

Ottomans attack, genocide and oppressor neighbours: "competent and good luck". I love this channel topocs, bit the bias is crazy. European expansion is always called out as colonialism and opression in here. The muslim expansion is passed as bringing the flame of glory.

[@OffizierHashem]

"It's a whole civilization based on putting your feet up". But seriously, a little disclaimer to non-Muslims without going into a whole big thing: most Muslim-populated regions were prosecuted by the Ottomans/Turks just like European people. Another disclaimer but for Muslims: The Ottoman Empire was a Turkic-supremacist state, not the holy guardians of Islam like so many contemporary "frustrated" non-Turkish muslims regard it to be. I'm not saying it wasn't powerful or innovative, but don't give it false credit because of your affiliation or situation. They used religion for their benefit just like the European Holy Churches did.

[@barbell4492]

It was only a Supremacist Turkic State towards the very end with the rise of the Young Turks. It was initially a Turkic, Nomadic Ghazi band, then the continuation of the Greco Roman Legacy of the Byzantines, then an Islamic Multi Continental Empire and then finally what you just described.

[@umaraziz8274]

Lol you truly living in your fantasy world 😂😂😂.

[@ThisAlias]

@OffizierHashem Nah... you guys have been treated too well by the Turks. Unfortunately too much semi-independence and less assimilation... Fkn Brits stay for a decade and every local has English names. We should've been like them.

[@54032Zepol]

Nnnooo not my christian lands!!

[@user-js5qb2oy7y]

slavery

[@JohnSmith-un1zj]

Imagine if Anatolia was Christian now….the country probably wouldn’t be called “Turkey”, and it’d probably be far more prosperous.

[@blackflame1592]

Why would Anatolia be more prosperous as a "Christian" country? Look at central Africa, are they prosperous? Being prosperous in this time is linked to many more factors than just affiliating to a religion, besides the USA and west Europe are all atheist looking at their constitution. Where is Christianity in Capitalism?

[@mgigachad3170]

Oh please an attaturk would probably exist to abolish Christiandom like secularists in the real timeline and also the ottoman were advanced but didn't have naval power like the European to expand the resources like the British In the Americas and India or have access to Southern Africa and when Christianity was dominant before the enlightenment it was called the dark ages.

[@JohnSmith-un1zj]

@@blackflame1592 because the authoritarian nature of Islam makes it very hard for a secular society to rise out of it. Everywhere else in the world, for the most part, most people have the common sense to not take religion literally, and to have a more secular/free lifestyle…if Muslims believe that the Quran is the literal/perfect word of god…it’s only natural to conclude Islamism is correct. I mean islamists are only acting in the same way the prophet and his followers did. Read the Quran in a modern language you can understand, it’s quite brutal m8.

[@JohnSmith-un1zj]

@@blackflame1592 western countries are secular, not “atheist” lmao. “Secular” means everyone is free to practice their own religion. And secularism came about through Christian free thinkers during the enlightenment. A lot of the scientific innovation in the Christian west was because Protestants/Catholics (and definitely Jews, a small population that proportionally contributed a large amount) genuinely believed they could learn the mind of god and understand his magnificent creation. These scientific innovations gave rise to the enlightenment and eventually an evolution into secular/free society, and then liberal democracy.

[@bashfulseagull]

You knocked it out of that park Mate, excellent I always heard the ottomans were next level diplomats but your video packed alot more detail then I previously knew. When I look at modern day Turkey today, I cant help but see some of that Ottoman Genius still alive and well. We can have religion , be secular and have a strong proud identity, all rolled into 1 ❤️🇹🇷🤍

[@HikmaHistory]

Appreciate that! The Ottomans were one of the greatest empires ever for a reason - their approach to governance and infrastructure-building was exceptional!