Introductory description

The Ottoman Empire was one of the largest and longest-surviving empires in history. It existed in one form or another from the turn of the fourteenth century until 1922, and at its greatest extent reached to Croatia and Algeria in the west, the Persian Gulf in the east, Ukraine in the north and Yemen in the south. The empire played a significant role in the history of Europe: it ruled large parts of eastern and southern Europe; it was an important antagonist or ally of all the European powers; and it was a major trading partner for European societies.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Autumn Term
Week 1 Introduction to the Ottoman Empire: Origins, Geography, Languages, Religions
Week 2 The Ottoman Ruling Class: The Dynasty and the Slave Institution
Week 3 Transformations in the Ottoman Ruling Class: The Rise of New Elites in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
Week 4 The Multiple Heritages of the Ottoman Empire: Monumental Architecture in Constantinople
Week 5 Non-Muslims in the Ottoman Empire: Communal Autonomy and Legal Pluralism
Week 6 NO CLASSES - READING WEEK
Week 7 Conversion to Islam and Islamization in Ottoman Europe
Week 8 Great Power Rivalry in the Age of Exploration
Week 9 Ottoman Territorial Contraction in the Eighteenth Century
Week 10 Early Modern Diplomacy and Intermediaries

Spring Term
Week 1 Mediterranean Trade and the Changing Balance of Economic Power during the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
Week 2 Ottoman-European Economic Relations in the Nineteenth Century: The Impact of the Industrial Revolution and Foreign Debt
Week 3 Migration and the Cosmopolitan Cities of North Africa and the Levant
Week 4 Nationalism in the Ottoman Balkans
Week 5 Loyalism among Ottoman Non-Muslims
Week 6 NO CLASSES - READING WEEK
Week 7 Ottoman Reform
Week 8 European Intervention in the Nineteenth-Century Ottoman Empire: Lebanon and Bulgaria
Week 9 The Young Turk Revolution of 1908 and the Second Constitutional Period
Week 10 War, Ethnic Cleansing and the Collapse of the Empire

Summer Term
Week 1 Revision Class
Week 2 Revision Class

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the Ottoman empire between 1453 and 1922.
• Communicate ideas and findings, adapting to a range of situations, audiences and degrees of complexity.
• Generate ideas through the analysis of a broad range of primary source material, including electronic resources.
• Analyse and evaluate the contributions made by existing scholarship.
• Act with limited supervision and direction within defined guidelines, accepting responsibility for achieving deadlines.

Subject specific skills

See learning outcomes.

Transferable skills

See learning outcomes.