History

This class is about the History of the Ottoman Empire (1300-1800))
The Ottoman Empire ruled over the Middle East and the Balkans for over six centuries. This course examines the rise of the empire from the frontiers of medieval Anatolia and the Balkans to its global expansion and restructuring. Students will study how the political, economic, and social structure of the empire transformed the lives of all the inhabitants of the Middle East.
– This paper should be structured as THREE essays each contains an Introduction with a clearly stated thesis, body paragraphs with arguments that clearly address the question asked in the memo topic (assignment questions) and evidence/sources support the arguments and a conclusion that restates the main argument.
– Each essay length is specified in the assignment questions area below.
– Do Not describe what happened, you should write your analysis.
– Quotes and paraphrasing must be explicitly cited and not long. Consider using as few as 4 to 5 short quotes and paraphrases per essay, no more.
– This paper should be analytical not summarizing what the writer already said.
FORMAT: — Each essay must have a clearly stated thesis, and the flow of ideas/ arguments must be connected to each other and to the main question of the assignment.
PLEASE, stick to the structure mentioned above, and make an obvious argument answering the assignment question with supporting evidence.
SOURCES: (ONLY the course reading and Podcasts) – PLEASE DO NOT USE ANY OUTSIDE SOURCES for this paper (Mandatory)
A list includes the course Reading and podcasts is attached

– You have to clearly state the argument or arguments.
– You have to support the argument(s) with evidence/sources.
– Address the question asked in the topic (assignment question below).
– The paper should be free of grammatical errors, properly formatted, and well-structured/organized.
– Answers should be written with normal margins in a normal font (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri) in 12 pt. size, double-spaced, MLA format.

PLEASE, underline (draw a line under) the following on the paper:
1- the thesis(the main argument).
2- the topic sentences in the body paragraphs that are related directly to answering the question.
3- the restatement of the main argument on the conclusion.
Assignment Questions:
Please answer all the questions with reference to the assigned readings. You can use a basic parenthetical format (last name, pg. #) to reference the readings e.g. (Kafadar, 76).
DO NOT USE outside readings.
Essay 1: (Length 4 pages)
1. Was the Ottoman Empire ever in decline? If so, when and how? If not, what framework should one use to narrate the events of the empire?
Essay 2: (Length 4 pages)
2. What role did the environment, both natural and human-built, play in Ottoman history in the sixteenth and seventeenth century?
Essay 3: (Length 3 pages)
3. Why did the queen mothers (valide sultan) become so powerful in the seventeenth century?

Again, each question should be answered in a separate essay, and DO NOT use outside sources.