Ottoman Empire
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The Ottoman Empire was a powerful empire that lasted from 1299 to 1922. It was centered around the Middle East and western portions of lands around the Mediterranean Sea. The empire was created by Ottoman Turks and became a long lasting empire. The people were mainly Muslims. When it was most powerful (around 1400 to 1600), the Ottoman Empire dominated trade and politics throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. Its capital was Constantinople (now Istanbul).
Toward the end, the Ottoman Empire began to weaken and was known as "the sick man of Europe". One problem was that the Sultan would keep all his male relatives locked in a small apartment called a kafe where they would never see the outside world. This was to keep them from taking power from him. But many times, a new Sultan would simply have his male relatives killed. Also, the Sultan was allowed to have many wives and concubines. The women in his harem would try to get more power, and the Sultan's mother became the most powerful political force in the Empire. This is because each mother in the harem would try to make her own son the next Sultan, since they knew he would probably be killed if he was not. The Sultans quickly lost their ability to govern far-away territories well, and all the people living in the Empire were soon governing themselves under their own laws. In the end, the Ottoman Empire grew so tired and decadent that it was easy for it to collapse.
