1. Significance of the Battle of Ankara.

2. The Interregnum, 1402-1413. Tamerlane restores Turkoman principalities in Anatolia. Ottoman Empire survives in Europe under Süleyman (Edirne), supported by Devsirme and Christian vassals. Bayezid's sons fight for power in Anatolia: Musa (Bursa), Isa (Balikesir), Mehmed (Amasya). Suleyman invades Anatolia, killed by Musa, who takes over in Europe. Mehmet represents Turkish aristocracy, gazi tradition, invades Europe, kills Musa, restores Ottoman unity (1413). Role of Seyh Bedreddin's religious movement.

3. Mehmed 1 (1413-1421). Eliminates Christian elements that led to Ankara disaster. Islamic administrative traditions replace Byzantine, with help of Jewish immigrants. Domination by &Cedil;andarli family of Grand Vezirs. Restoration of Gazi tradition. Replacement of Christian vassals with direct Ottoman rule.

4. Murad 11 (1421-145 1). Moves to eliminate Christian vassals. Fear of Timurids in East. War with Venice (1423-1430). Conquest of Serbia. Serbs leave Belgrade to Hungary. Hungarians occupy Bosnia. Gazi frontier. European warriors led by John Hunyadi, who defeats Ottomans at Nis (1443), moves into Bulgaria, threatens Edirne before making peace (1444). Internal struggles between Turkish Aristocracy and Devsirme Murad leaves throne (1443) to young son Mehmed and Devsirme retires to Anatolia. Returns to defeat Crusade of Varna (1444). Eliminates Christian vassals, restores Turkish aristocracy.

5. Mehmed 11 (1451-1481. Fatih (The Conqueror). Gives conquered lands to Devsirme to balance off against Turkish aristocracy. Mehmed develops idea of restoring old Roman Empire under his leadership. Devsirme gets him to besiege Constantinope, against opposition of Turkish Aristocracy. Bosporus fortresses of Rumeli Hisar and Anadolu Hisar. Importance of Ottoman capture of Constantinople (29 May 1453): End to European Crusading fervor. Ottomans now leading power in Islamic world. Elimination of Candarli and balancing off of Turkish Aristocracy and Devsirme class. Rebuilding of Constantinople as Ottoman capitol Istanbul. Repopulation with subjects forced to settle there (sürgün) from all over Empire: Arnavutköy, Belgrad Ormani Creation of millets to provide sultanate with additional pillars of support: Armenian Apostolic, Greek Orthodox, Jewish and Muslim. Special position given Jewish millet. Establishment of direct Ottoman rule in Southeastern Europe up to Danube river. Conversion of Bogomils in Bosnia to Islam. Albanian resistance led by Scanderbeg (Iskender Beg/Bey). Replacement of Turkoman vassals in Anatolia with direct Ottoman rule. Victory (1473) in war with White Sheep (Ak Koyunlu) led by Uzun Hasan, helped by Venetians, in Eastern Anatolia. Mehmed II defeats Venice (1479), drives it out of Morea, makes it into Vassal. Naval expeditions to Rhodes (1480) and southern Italy (Otranto) ended with death of Mehmed II. Mehmed enacts law codes, replaces vassals with direct Ottoman rule in Europe and Anatolia. But increasing financial difficulties during Mehmed's reign, failure to consolidate conquests, leaves Empire in chaos.

6.  Bayezid 11 (1481-1512) keeps peace in order to consolidate Mehmed's empire. Revives Turkish Aristocracy to balance off Devsirme Struggle with brother Cem Sultan. Defeats Cem at Bursa (1482), Cem flees to refuge with Mamluks (1482), but defeated in new invasion of Anatolia. Cem with Knights of Rhodes (1483) and with Pope (1484). Poisoned by Pope Alexander VI Borgia. Bayezid restores Ottoman financial equilibrium. Develops avariz (household) tax to finance campaigns, ends forced confiscations, heavy taxes. Regular system of budgets. Establishes frontier northwest of Black Sea against Russia of Ivan III the Great (1462-1505), who claims Byzantine heritage. Alliance with Crimean Tatars, establishes Black Sea as Ottoman lake. Poland establishes Kazak (Cossack) frontier warrior society. Conflict in southeastern Anatolia with disintegrating Mamluk empire of Syria and Egypt. Europeans shift trade routes away from Middle East. Ottoman-Mamluk war (1485-1491). New war with Venice(1499-1503) due to pirate use of Cyprus for raids on Ottoman coasts, shipping. Safavids as Sufi mystic Turkish religious order among Turkoman tribes in Eastern Anatolia. Forced out of Anatolia by Mahmud II's conquest, go to Iran (Ardabil) with seven Turkish Kizilbas (red headed) tribes where they preach Shiism to people, helped by military power, to conquer and re-unite all of Iran under leadership of Shah Ismail. Gain wide following among Turkoman tribes in eastern Anatolia, leading to conflict with Ottomans. Bayezid leaves this problem to his successor. Quarrel for Ottoman succession between pacific Prince Ahmed, supported by Turkish Aristocracy, and warlike Prince Selim, supported by Devsirme Bayezid supports Ahmed by stationing him closer to Istanbul. Selim reacts by going to Crimea, marrying daughter of Crimean Han, leading Tatar army toward Istanbul. Devsirme brings Selim I (Yavuz-The Grim) to throne following death of Bayezid 11 (1512).