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The '''Ottoman Empire''' was a [[Muslim]] state which ruled much of the [[Middle East]] as well as parts of North Africa and the Balkans in Europe from 1299 A.D. until 1922 A.D. Its government, based in [[Istanbul]], was called "The Porte" or "The Sublime Porte". It's the predecessor of present-day [[Turkey]].

The '''Ottoman Empire''' was a multinational [[Muslim]] state which ruled much of the [[Middle East]] as well as parts of North Africa and the Balkans in Europe from 1299 A.D. until 1922 A.D. Its government, based in [[Istanbul]], was called "The Porte" or "The Sublime Porte". It's the predecessor of present-day [[Turkey]].

[[Image:Otexpand.jpg|thumb|590px]]

[[Image:Otexpand.jpg|thumb|590px]]

For several hundred years Turkish tribes from central Asia had been moving into Anatolia (modern day Turkey). The first major [[Ottoman Turks|Ottoman]] leader was Osman (1259-1326); Europeans pronounced his name as "Ottoman", and the name stuck.  Osman extended his realm by conquering Byzantine holdings province by province.

For several hundred years Turkish tribes from central Asia had been moving into Anatolia (modern day Turkey). The first major [[Ottoman Turks|Ottoman]] leader was Osman (1259-1326); Europeans pronounced his name as "Ottoman", and the name stuck.  Osman extended his realm by conquering Byzantine holdings province by province.

Osman's successors moved into Europe and squeezed the [[Byzantine Empire]] into a smaller and smaller fragment, a process that took a century. Murad I (reigned 1361-1389), a remarkable Sultan who ensured the permanence of Ottoman forces in Europe by the incorporation of the conquered city of Adrianople into his realm in 1361. Murad won a great victory over the Christian Serbs and Bosnians at [[Kosovo]] in 1389, but he was killed. Bayazid I became sultan and, as was usually done, killed his brothers to solidify his power. He extended Ottoman rule throughout most of Anatolia. However, he was defeated in 1402 by Mongol invaders and his empire shrank and after his death in 1403 his three sons fought each other for control. There were repeated wars in the Balkans. In 1451 Mohammed II (reigned 1451 to 1481) came to power, and built for the first time a strong Ottoman state, with an effective bureaucracy and army. He ended local dynasties and repulsed the Christians from Hungary and Venice.  

Osman's successors moved into Europe and squeezed the [[Byzantine Empire]] into a smaller and smaller fragment, a process that took a century. Murad I (reigned 1361-1389), a remarkable Sultan who ensured the permanence of Ottoman forces in Europe by the incorporation of the conquered city of Adrianople into his realm in 1361. Murad won a great victory over the Christian Serbs and Bosnians at [[Kosovo]] in 1389, but he was killed. Bayazid I became sultan and, as was usually done, killed his brothers to solidify his power. He extended Ottoman rule throughout most of Anatolia. However, he was defeated in 1402 by Mongol invaders and his empire shrank and after his death in 1403 his three sons fought each other for control. There were repeated wars in the Balkans. In 1451 Mehmed II (archaic Mohammed II, reigned 1451 to 1481) came to power, and built for the first time a strong Ottoman state, with an effective bureaucracy and army. He ended local dynasties and repulsed the Christians from Hungary and Venice.  

Adrianople, now called Edirne, served as the European capital of the Ottoman state. In 1453 Mohammed II finally captured the depopulated, poverty-stricken Byzantine capital of [[Constantinople]], renamed it [[Istanbul]], and made it into a glorious imperial capital, complete with scholars and historians to sing his praises.

Adrianople, now called Edirne, served as the European capital of the Ottoman state. In 1453 Mehmed II finally captured the depopulated, poverty-stricken Byzantine capital of [[Constantinople]], renamed it [[Istanbul]], and made it into a glorious imperial capital, complete with scholars and historians to sing his praises.

===Tolerance===

===Tolerance===