Ottoman Empire People

During a period, the Ottoman Empire administration became a highly coherent and advanced form of administration that the world had seen. The control of power vested in people who deserved to be in that position and the transfer of power was not hierarchical. That means they had to earn their right to be in that position.

Therefore understandably, the Empire, its control, its sultan had complete control over the policies and administration that went in favor of the people. Not surprisingly, the rise and the growth of the Empire continued over 5 centuries! The people were more or less satisfied by the rules and so they abided by the rules, regulations and law of the land.

The Elite of the Empire

The Ottoman Empire has always been known to have an elite population who would be recognized in the social structure as people who are highly cultured, wealthy and could be trusted. The elite represented the intellectual and wealthy population of Ottoman Empire. However, the later policies of the rulers did not allow much education to be imparted to the general masses and that was one of the other reasons for the downfall of the Empire. Ottoman Empire people were organized in a social structure that began to be known as the 'Millets'.

Having said that, it was more like a social organization that was religious at its roots and would see to the harmony and unity of the people; it was a roaring success to say the least! The Sultan would oversee the protection of the Millets and they were allowed to keep their religion, literature and other intellectual pursuits with themselves and use them for the unity of the land as required.

Like all great civilizations, the Ottoman Empire people also had their share of a mixed culture as they absorbed more 'habits' and traditional cultures from neighboring powers as well. Their lifestyle however, was more like their eastern and western counterparts. Trade was one thing that the Ottoman Empire allowed to thrive and that brought in much of the culture of the region as history sees it today. Interestingly, the capital of the Empire - Constantinople had a unique religion that would set a precedent for the rest of the cities in the Empire.

People in the Ottoman courts were like the Persian Shahs but also drew much influence from their European counterparts. The success in controlling the people lay in the fact that the Empire was open to new cultural ideas and interpretations that would only strengthen the integrity of the nation.