Draft Syllabus for My Course on Ottoman History- I'd Love Your Feedback

Two weeks ago, I shared with you my plans on on launching a 10-week online course on Ottoman history. The course will cover the period between the emergence of the Ottomans in the early 14^th century to the beginnings of the reform period in the late 18^th century.

I’m creating a course on Ottoman history. Want to learn with me?

Many of you were kind enough to show an interest in the project and share ideas about what you’d like to see covered in the course. Thank you very much, I really appreciate your messages and support.

Since then, I’ve been working on drafting a syllabus that would strike a balance between covering the fundamental aspects of Ottoman history and giving you a sense of the cultural, social, and religious dynamics of the Ottoman Empire.

Here is what I have come up with so far:

📚 10- Week Lesson Plan:

Week 1: Anatolia Before the Ottomans

• Introduction to the course and a discussion of why Ottoman history matters today.

• Explore the political, cultural, and religious changes witnessed in Anatolia between the 11^th and 14th-centuries and the environment from which the Ottomans emerged onto the scene.

Week 2: The Emergence of the Ottomans & State Formation

• Discuss the early conquests (1302-1402) and explore how the Ottomans transformed from a small frontier principality into a centralized state.

• Introduce the key institutional changes (the devshirme system and the creation of the Janissaries corps being foremost among them) that the Ottoman polity witnessed during this time.

Week 3: Civil War and Reconsolidation

• Analyze internal and external challenges leveled against the Ottoman authority in the early 15^th century.

• Explore the process of reconsolidation and recentralization during the reigns of Mehmed I and Murad II.

Week 4: Mehmed the Conqueror and the Making of an Empire

• Analyze the 1453 conquest of Constantinople and why it was significant, both for the Ottomans and Europe.

• Examine Mehmed’s state-building agenda and explore how the Ottoman state became a full-blown empire.

Week 5: Selim I and the Conquest of the Arab Lands

• Explore the incorporation of Arab-lands into the Ottoman Empire and its religious-political implications.

• Analyze the consolidation of the Empire’s religious identity and how it came to define itself as a “Sunni” power.

Week 6: Suleyman the Magnificent and the “Ottoman Golden Age”

• Investigate the military campaigns and administrative changes that took place during Suleyman’s reign.

• Assess the cultural legacy of the “Ottoman golden age.”

Week 7: Royal Women and the Politics of the Ottoman Court

• Examine the roles of the Imperial Harem and royal women in court politics and succession.

• Explore daily life, ritual, and the symbolic performance of power at the Ottoman court.

Week 8: “Why did the Ottoman Empire Decline?”

• Examine the emergence of decline narratives in both Ottoman history and history writing and why these narratives are problematic.

• Explore alternative interpretations through the lens of crisis, reform, and adaptation in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Week 9: Selim III and the Beginning of the Westernizing Reforms

• Analyze Selim III’s New Order reforms and the political tensions they generated.

• Consider how reform debates set the stage for 19th-century transformations.

Week 10: Ottoman Legacy

• Reflect on how the Ottoman Empire is remembered across the Middle East and the Balkans.

• Trace continuities and ruptures in law, culture, and statecraft into the modern period.

🛠️ This is still a work in progress and subject to change.

And once again, I’d love to hear what you think. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let me know.

I’d also greatly appreciate it if you could share this post with anyone who might be interested in taking such a course.

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💡One last thing:

I have recently turned on my paid subscriptions. Everything is still free, including the archives. I turned the paid option on so that if you’d like to support me and my work, you could do so.

In the near future, I’m planning to host live Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions (on Ottoman/Middle Eastern history) and interviewing other scholars on my Substack. These will be for paid subscribers. I’ll share with you the details as I get closer to realizing these projects.

Thank you once again for all your support.

Until next time!