Blog #2 on class notes from 1/26/09

The growth in power and swift expansion of the Ottoman empire was definitely the most interesting thing that we have discussed in class thus far. As we discussed in class, there were three preconditions that facilitated the development of this great kingdom; Migration, the Mongol invasions, and the crusades. We have yet to go into detail with these pre-conditions, so topic that I would personally like to address was the religious toleration of the Ottoman's. Osman I (1299-1326) gave his empire a great advantage by developing this sense of religious toleration. At the same time he made it clear through government and economic growth that Islam was the religion to be observed. He enforced the Jizya tax on other religions which paid for the development of their religious establishments. This is something that his citizens of Islam did not have to worry about due to the fact that the Ottomans were an Islamic empire. Citizens of other religions also had to wear certain clothes to mark what their faith was. While this allowed Osman I to make clear to his people that Islam was the favored religion, I believe that through further toleration he would have allowed even more growth to occur. Osman gathered a great army through the capture of territory. First this was through force, but eventually villages and towns bowed to Osman because of reputation. I believe that if Osman had an even greater toleration-perhaps unheard of back in this era, his empire could have seen endless expansion. Religion was a much bigger part of politics and everyday life than it is today. If he grew an even more multi-cultural empire I believe territory would have came to him through foreign diplomacy.