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Sacred Power and Imperial Ambition: The Making of the Ottoman Empire

Sacred Power and Imperial Ambition: The Making of the Ottoman Empire

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Instructor:  Dr. Yakoob Ahmed

Date/times:

July 26 - September 13, Saturdays 10 AM - 12 PM US Eastern Standard Time

 

Course summary:

This 8-week course explores the transformation of the Ottomans from a small frontier beylik into a powerful empire. It focuses on the Ottomans’ early ambitions to transcend their status as a principality and examines the pivotal events and rulers who shaped their imperial identity.

Key themes include the Ottoman aspiration to establish a sacred and lasting empire, the motivations behind Mehmed II’s conquest of Constantinople, and the significance of the Ottoman claim to the Caliphate, which became central to their political and religious legitimacy.

The course begins with the Ottoman Interregnum and moves through the conquest of Constantinople and the reign of Mehmed II, the rise of Selim I and his decisive defeat of the Mamluks, and culminates with the reign of Suleiman the Lawgiver (Sulayman al-Kanuni). By the end of the course, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how the reigns of these three sultans shaped the trajectory of Ottoman history and laid the foundations for its imperial legacy. We shall examine themes like conquest, expansion, interregnum, fratricide, and early Ottoman political theory. This course is designed for both beginners and students who have knowledge of the subject.

 

Course schedule:

Sacred Power and Imperial Ambition: The Making of the Ottoman Empire

Saturdays 10 AM - 12 PM EST US Eastern Standard Time

Week 1

July 26

The impact of the Interregnum

Week 2

August 2

The Early Years of Mehmet II

Week 3

August 9

The Conquest of Constantinople

Week 4

August 16

The Conflict with Vlad the Impaler, and expansion into Anatolia

Week 5

August 23

The Standoff Between Beyazid and Selim I

Week 6

August 30

The Caliphate and Its Revival

Week 7

September 6

The Reign of Sulayman al-Kanuni

Week 8

September 13

Transformation of Ottoman Legal and Cultural Tradition

Week 9

September 20

Possible review/makeup

No one will be turned away for lack of funds, please send an email to info@alqasas.org

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