Government The Ottoman Empire was ruled by Sultans including Syleyman I & Selim III. Syleyman I was the last great Ottoman sultan who tried to modernize the empire. When he died, he was followed by a succession of weak sultans which led to the corruption of different factions. Then came the Selim III who tried to modernize the army. However the older corps overthrew him and his reform movements. Then Greece and Serbia broke away attempting to gain Independence and the empire started to decline which led to the Geopolitics of European colonies. Britain wanted Oil from Persia and Russia for access to warm water port, which led to the Crimean War, and was fought between Russia and Ottoman because the Russia wanted Ottoman lands of the Black Sea and Mediterranean for warm-water port and for easier trade. Which decreased the power and size of the empire. Then the “Great Game” happened between Britain and Russia over India which came to an end after Britain agreed to not pass the Khyber Pass and Russia agreed to leave Afghanistan alone. Economy The Ottoman empire had a variety of different ways to make their economy work. They had extensive trade routes. Some like Constantinople were vital to getting supplies and arms to Russia who partly caused the Crimean war. Other places like the Suez canal in Egypt were vital to the british in getting supplies to India. And they also had huge slave industries and agricultural industries which boosted their economy significantly. Social/Cultural The ottoman empires and muslim empires in the beginning were far more tolerant than in their decline. But life was definitely great for non muslims before the empire collapsed. They had to pay a tax called the Dhimmi which made them a protected people who had certain rights. Women also had a high social standing compared to their european counterparts. They could own land, divorce, and maintained the finances. But as their territory and rule collapsed, the