The History of the Ottoman Empire

For most of us, our knowledge of the Ottoman Empire can be summed up to two things: padded footstools and the phrase "the sick man of Europe". We in the United States know very little about the Ottoman Empire because our history courses do a bad job of covering parts of the world outside of Europe and North America. But there are good reasons to learn about the Ottomans. They ruled for six hundred years, a superpower on three continents. A diverse and multiethnic empire, they were noted for the autonomy non-Muslim religious groups were allowed. They were governed by an administration of merit, not of bloodline. And perhaps most surprisingly, this enormous empire was ruled for six hundred years by one family. Join me as we explore together the history of one of the world's most powerful and longest-lasting empires.