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The Ottoman Empire

Season 1
Join Professor Kenneth W. Harl for The Ottoman Empire: 36 enlightening lectures that investigate the nature of Ottoman identity, the achievements and oddities of the sultan’s court, and stories of confrontation and cooperation with the West.
201736 episodesTV-PG
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Episodes

  1. S1 E1 - Sublime Porte: Visions of the Ottoman Empire
    May 25, 2017
    32min
    TV-PG
    How should one consider the vast history of the Ottoman Empire? Professor Harl sets the stage for the lectures to come with a consideration of key themes in the empire's journey from "Sublime Porte" to "Sick Man of Europe" - as well as the distorting images of Orientalism. #History
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  2. S1 E2 - Seljuk Turks in Asia Minor
    May 25, 2017
    30min
    TV-PG
    Ottoman sultans traced their origins to the Oghuz Turks of the Central Eurasian steppes, whose nomadic ways of life were transformed by Islam. Follow along as the subsequent Seljuk Turks evolve from raiders to conquerors - and spark conflict with Western Europe's religious pilgrims.
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  3. S1 E3 - The Islamization of Asia Minor
    May 25, 2017
    30min
    TV-PG
    First, learn how the Seljuk sultans created an Islamic Turkish Anatolia, which would become the heartland of future Ottoman sultans. Then, explore Seljuk developments in architecture, decorative art, and religion - including domed mosques, medresses (religious schools), and "whirling dervishes."
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  4. S1 E4 - Ottoman Sultans of Bursa
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    Meet the sultans who transformed the Ottoman sultanate into an imperial state. Among these: Orhan, who made Bursa the state's capital; Murad I and Bayezid I, who incorporated Asia Minor into the Ottoman state; and "the Thunderbolt," who forged an empire of tributaries in the Balkans and Anatolia.
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  5. S1 E5 - Defeat and Recovery, 1402-1451
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    The defeat of Sultan Bayezid by Tamerlane at the Battle of Angora revealed the fragile nature of the nascent Ottoman sultanate. Focus on the empire's recovery under Mehmed I Çelebi and Murad II, who made the empire into a bureaucratic monarchy and defeated the Hungarians at the Battle of Varna.
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  6. S1 E6 - Mehmet the Conqueror, 1451-1481
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    Mehmet the Conqueror made the Ottoman sultanate a leading Muslim power by 1481. In this lecture, investigate his remarkable rule, which included the conquest of Constantinople, the remodeling of the Hagia Sophia as a mosque, and the construction of the grand, walled mini-city of Topkapı.
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  7. S1 E7 - Selim the Grim and the Conquest of Cairo
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    In 1512, Selim emerged victorious from the ashes of a civil war and executed all challenges to his rule (earning him the sobriquet "the Grim"). Go inside Selim's military campaigns against Iran, Syria, and Egypt, which helped make the Ottoman Empire virtually synonymous with the "house of Islam."
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  8. S1 E8 - Suleiman the Magnificent, 1520-1566
    May 25, 2017
    32min
    TV-PG
    Suleiman the Magnificent presided over the zenith of the Ottoman Empire. You'll learn how, during his 46-year reign, he expanded civil bureaucracy, waged a naval war in the Mediterranean against Habsburg Spain, and also altered the imperial succession - sowing what some historians consider the seeds of the empire's downfall.
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  9. S1 E9 - Sultans in Topkapı, 1566-1648
    May 25, 2017
    32min
    TV-PG
    Turn now to a period of decline, most notable for the emergence of the harem as a powerful political institution. Meet sultans including Murad III, a patron of the arts (especially miniaturist painting) and Ahmet I, an ineffective 13-year-old who presided over the "Sultanate of Women."
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  10. S1 E10 - The Sultan-Caliph and His Servants
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    Ottoman sultans played two roles: as sultan/warrior and as the caliph of Sunni Islam. Here, unpack the role of the sultan in the Ottoman Empire, including his relationship with the ulema (religious experts), his central administration (called "the Porte"), and with his viziers.
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  11. S1 E11 - Timariots, Peasants, and Pastoralists
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    Between 1500 and 1800, the Ottoman Empire spread across more than 1 million square miles - but economic activity varied from region to region. Discover how groups like pastoralists and the Muslim gentry (timariots) played their own critical roles in the drama and resiliency of the rural Ottoman economy.
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  12. S1 E12 - Trade, Money, and Cities
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    Trade was vital to the Ottoman Empire - as well as a cause for its decline from "Porte" to "Sick Man of Europe." Trace some of the empire's most prominent trade routes, including the iconic Silk Road, as well as the British penetration of Ottoman markets in 1838.
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  13. S1 E13 - Arabs under the Ottoman Caliph
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    For 300 years, Ottoman Sultans ruled the majority of Arabs. How did "the Porte" successfully administer the diverse Arab provinces under its control? How did "the Porte" respect Islamic traditions? Why were the Arabs so loyal to the empire up until the early 19th century?
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  14. S1 E14 - Christians and Jews under the Porte
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    Under the Ottomans, Christian and Jewish subjects were classified as dhimmi ("people of the book") and were afford legal protection and the right to practice their faith. Explore daily life in some of the Christian and Jewish communities (millet) scattered across the empire.
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  15. S1 E15 - Sunni Islam and Ottoman Civilization
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    Go deeper inside the details of Ottoman civilization. Among the topics you'll explore are the transformation of Turkish into a new literary language; the importance of calligraphy and miniaturist painting; intellectual developments in history and geography; and, finally, the cultural influence of the Sufis.
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  16. S1 E16 - Ottoman Constantinople
    May 25, 2017
    33min
    TV-PG
    What was Constantinople like under Ottoman control? Professor Harl shows how the empire became a veritable paradise among Muslim cities, with markets and mosque complexes, social activities and public spaces, and the grandeur of Topkapı, which you'll see through the eyes of French Ambassadors sent in 1536.
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  17. S1 E17 - The Sultan at War: The Ottoman Army
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    Sultans between the reigns of Murad II and Mehmet IV commanded one of the finest armies in Eurasia. Discover how the Ottoman imperial army matched Europe's best, how money was raised to meet the rising costs of war, why the Ottoman army suffered decisive defeats, and more.
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  18. S1 E18 - Sultan and Shah: Challenge of Safavid Iran
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    The Ottoman Sultan and the Safavid Shah clashed frequently over strategic lands between the two civilizations. First, learn why Safavid Iran was the religious and ideological rival of "the Porte." Then, examine five major wars the Ottomans waged against their rivals between 1514 and 1722.
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  19. S1 E19 - Sultan and Emperor: War in the West
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    Visit the empire's northern border in Europe to explore its military clashes with the West. Why was fighting in Central Europe so indecisive? Why did the Long-Turkish War prove so embarrassing for three sultans? How did "the Porte" come to ease tensions with the Habsburgs after 1605?
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  20. S1 E20 - Sultan and Venice: War in the Mediterranean
    May 25, 2017
    32min
    TV-PG
    Learn why Ottoman success at sea in the 1500s stemmed from Suleiman's strategic vision and the skills of his admirals. Along the way, you'll investigate Suleiman's war against Venice, the Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and battles with another European naval power: Portugal.
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  21. S1 E21 - Köprülü Viziers and Imperial Revival
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    Professor Harl reveals how a dynasty of Grand Viziers and bureaucrats rescued the Ottoman Empire from factions and court intrigue, then guided the empire through various crises between 1683 and 1699, helping to end the ruinous war against Venice, as well as end political instability within the House of Osman.
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  22. S1 E22 - The Empire at Bay, 1699-1798
    May 25, 2017
    32min
    TV-PG
    In this lecture, learn why the 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz is a turning point in Ottoman history - another that marked the empire's steady decline into the "Sick Man of Europe." Central to this lecture: the Ottoman military's engagement with a powerful new Christian foe: Catherine the Great.
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  23. S1 E23 - Napoleon Invades Ottoman Egypt
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    France's occupation of Egypt from 1798 to 1801 compromised the restoration of Ottoman rule in the country. And, as you'll learn, Napoleon's invasion also marked the first instance of the Muslim Middle East's encounter with modernity and political reforms based on the principles of the French Revolution.
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  24. S1 E24 - Crisis: Muhammad Ali and Balkan Nationalists
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    Learn how Muhammad Ali exploited the confusion in Egypt after Napoleon's departure and, in 35 years, became the first successful Muslim ruler to transform Egypt into the literary and intellectual center of the Arabic-speaking world. Also, consider several Serbian and Greek revolts that rocked the Ottoman Empire.
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  25. S1 E25 - Tanzimat and Modernization, 1839-1876
    May 25, 2017
    31min
    TV-PG
    First, examine how the reforms of professional ministers led by Mustafa Reşid Paşa ushered in a massive reorganization (Tanzimat) of both the Ottoman State and Ottoman society. Then, consider how Tanzimat widened divisions within Ottoman society and failed to make the empire a member of the Concert of Europe.
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Subtitles
None available
Producers
The Great Courses
Cast
Kenneth W. Harl
Studio
The Great Courses
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