General
The General category gathers broad overview articles on Ottoman history — introductory pieces, periodization debates, comparative looks at the empire alongside its contemporaries, and explainers that connect the dots between sultans, wars, institutions, society, and culture. Coverage spans the full arc from Osman Gazi's Söğüt frontier (1299) through the proclamation of the Republic (1923), with attention to how historians have framed Ottoman trajectories: rise and decline narratives, transformation theses, the long nineteenth century, and the legacy that shaped the modern Middle East and Balkans. Articles here are written for readers building first context on the empire before exploring more specialised sections.
The Wars of the Great Seljuk Empire
The wars of the Great Seljuk Empire, from Dandanakan (1040) and Manzikert (1071) to Katvan (1141) and the Oghuz revolt (1153): dates, opponents and consequences.
The Wars of the Great Seljuk Empire →
Where Were the First City Settlements in the World Founded?
Where were the first city settlements in the world founded? The Sumerian cities, Çatalhöyük, Jericho, Egypt, the Indus valley and Aleppo, explained with the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam.
Where Were the First City Settlements in the World Founded? →
Who Killed Malik-Shah?
Who killed Malik-Shah? The suspicious death in Baghdad in 1092, the claim of poisoning by game meat, and the reports about Terken Khatun, the caliph and Nizam al-Mulk’s men.
Who Killed Malik-Shah? →
The Eastern Front in the Turkish War of Independence
Whom did Ankara fight on the Eastern Front of the Turkish War of Independence? Kâzım Karabekir Pasha’s 1920 offensive, the taking of Kars and Gümrü, and the treaties of Alexandropol, Moscow and Kars.
The Eastern Front in the Turkish War of Independence →
What Did the Ancient Indians Believe the World Resembled?
What did the ancient Indians compare the world to? The elephants and tortoise that carry the world, Mount Meru and the seven continents of the Puranas, and the spherical earth of Indian astronomers.
What Did the Ancient Indians Believe the World Resembled? →
During Which Caliph’s Era Did India First Encounter Islam?
During which caliph’s era did India first encounter Islam? The first naval expedition under Caliph Umar and Muhammad ibn Qasim’s conquest of Sind under the Umayyad caliph al-Walid I.
During Which Caliph’s Era Did India First Encounter Islam? →
Abdul Muttalib ibn Hashim
Abdul Muttalib ibn Hashim was the Prophet Muhammad’s grandfather and a chief of the Quraysh. How did he rediscover Zamzam, what did he tell Abraha during the Event of the Elephant, and how did he protect his grandson?
Abdul Muttalib ibn Hashim →
Who Were Suleiman the Magnificent’s Siblings?
Suleiman the Magnificent’s siblings: the brother and sister who died young in Trabzon, six sisters married to leading pashas, the quarrel of Şah Sultan and Lutfi Pasha, and names often confused with them.
Who Were Suleiman the Magnificent’s Siblings? →
The Uncles of Prophet Muhammad Who Became Muslim
Who were the uncles of Prophet Muhammad who became Muslim? The lives of Hamza and al-Abbas, the disputed case of Abu Talib and the hostility of Abu Lahab.
The Uncles of Prophet Muhammad Who Became Muslim →
The Young Ottomans and Namık Kemal: What Was the Powerful Voice of Liberty?
Discover how Namık Kemal transformed the Young Ottomans' ideas of liberty, homeland, and the press into a powerful public language.
The Young Ottomans and Namık Kemal: What Was the Powerful Voice of Liberty? →
