How large and strong was the military class of the Ottoman Empire?

Question

Also, what was their main source of income? How technologically advanced was their civilization? What were its main achievments in Science and technology? How well was science and technology used? Did it benefit the civilization?
What about Social Mobility? Did that civilization provide individuals wih the incentive to improve society?

Answer 1

Ottoman Empire (ŏt'əmən) , vast state founded in the late 13th cent. by Turkish tribes in Anatolia and ruled by the descendants of Osman I until its dissolution in 1918. Modern Turkey formed only part of the empire, but the terms “Turkey” and “Ottoman Empire” were often used interchangeably.

Organization of the Empire

Economically, socially, and militarily, Turkey was a medieval state, unaffected by the developments in the rest of Europe. Turkish domination over the northern part of Africa (except Tripoli and Egypt) was never well defined or effective, and the eastern border was inconstant, shifting according to frequent wars with Persia. Of the vassal princes, only the khans of Crimea were generally loyal.

Answer 2

I'd strongly suggest that you look for the answers to these questions in academic sources because being a Turk, i can very easily say that, the Ottoman Empire ruling from 1299 till the foundation modern Turkey was a super power transcending from the Middle Ages to Rennaisance and then to New Ages.

The Ottomans had the strongest army in all over Europe, atleast four times bigger than the biggest in Europe. It was an unbeatable military power till well into the 17th century. If the capital city Istanbul was not so far from the inland Europe, (since the massive army of 200,000 soldiers marched from Istanbul) the conquered lands would have been vaster and most of Europe would have become Ottomanized.

I can also suggest a book, answering all your questions exactly, Lords of the Horizons, by Jason Goodwin.

Answer 3

The Ottoman empire conquered the Byzantine empire which had been weakened by the crusades and by a 1000 years of fighting the barbarians and each other over religious matters.
To govern ,it used the Byzantine structure of the state and the Greeks of Constantinople known as "Fanariotes".The highest military class ,the elite ,were the "Genitsari" Greeks that were seized as very young boys from Greece ,were forced to become Muslims and were given every privilege.The army was very powerfull and formed an enormous empire around the Mediterranean sea and almost up to Austria.
It collapsed after 1821 ,when the remaining Greeks decided they had enough and revolted.
Main source of income was taxation -by the head.
Science :zero
Technology :zero
Civilization :zero
You will not find a philosopher ,scientist ,artist ,writer or builder.

The non Muslims were allowed very little ,like working and paying taxes.No education was allowed to them.

The benefit to civilization :we owe them the Muslim expansion -by force on every territory they conquered.
What is left of the empire today is Turkey ,a country sitting on parts of 3 nations :Armenia Kurdistan and Greece.They have already slaughtered the Armenians and the Greeks that lived in Turkey and now they are slaughtering the Kurds that are left.
This is how the Ottoman Empire benefit civilization :600 years of genocide.

Mac
A European

Answer 4

The Ottoman Empire was the last Islamic Khilifah. It was a state ruled by and for Muslims, in the name of Allah and Islam.

The Ottomans were spearheads of modern medicine. In contrast, the Europeans simply herded their wounded into rooms and let them die. The Ottomans actually developed treatment for injuries.

Muslims also inherited mathmatics from the Greek, and excelled in Astronomy and physics.

Social mobility was only possible if one embraced Islam. There were basically three classes of citizens. Muslims, non-Muslims and slaves. Muslims had all rights to vote, commerce and freedom (as dictated by Sharia Law). Non-Muslims (or Dhimmi's) had to pay a tax (Jidya) or become slaves, be killed or exiled. Slaves were taken by war or failure to pay debts.

The Ottoman empire failed in ways similar to a number of cultural superpowers. By corruption and greed. Muslims today basically blame non-believers for corrupting the Khilifah and it's leaders.