The Ottoman Empire was one of the largest and longest-lasting Empires in history. It reached its height under Suleiman the Magnificent (reigned 1520-66), when it expanded to cover the Balkans and Hungary, and reached the gates of Vienna.
However, the Empire began to decline after being defeated at the Battle of Lepanto (1571) and losing almost its entire navy. It declined further during the next centuries and was effectively finished off by the First World War and the Balkan Wars. The demise of the Ottoman Empire (Ottoman Caliphate) made a lasting impact on the Muslim world. Britain and France carved up the Middle East through Sykes-Picot Agreement and gave birth to a new Middle East where oil and petrodollar shaped the politics and economy under their patronage. The agreement also gave birth to the decade-long conflict between the native Palestinians and Jewish settlers from Europe in the occupied territories. In order to understand the current socio-political turmoil in the Middle East, it is very imperative to understand the history thoroughly and figure out the causes of the current situation.
Dr. Yakoob Ahmed
Dr. Yakoob is a lecturer at Istanbul University’s theology department where he teaches Islamic History. He completed PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London on the Role of the Ottoman Ulema During the Constitutional Revolution of 1908-09. He has written for various media outlets such as TRT World and Middle East Eye, as well as the Muslim organization the Yaqeen Institute. He has also hosted a host of interviews for Islamic Circles and given podcast interviews to various organizations online. Currently, Dr. Yakoob is working on his first book manuscript based on his Ph.D. Dr. Yakoob’s main interests are Late Ottoman history, nationalism, the Ottoman ulema, and collective memory construction.
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