The sultans steadily lost the command of the empire, demonstrating a lack of leadership. The method of succession allowed the son of a sultan to become the next leader. These children received hands-on education on how to govern. Any potential successor had to contest against their brothers to determine the new Sultan. Once the throne determined the new Sultan, the brothers that were unable to secure the throne were executed. The empire abandoned this practice, instead confining the sons of the sultan in harem until adulthood to avoid threats of usurpation. As a result, subsequent rulers proved unprepared and ineffective at leading. Dissatisfied officials, including viziers and military leaders, formed political factions that internally separated the government.
Secondly, the weakening of the Ottoman Empire’s was major factor in its decline. The Ottoman navy was defeated by the …show more content…
European exploration and imperialism opened new trade routes that bypassed the Ottoman Empire. Europeans discovered more efficient routes leading to the East as part of documenting their voyages. These new trade routes effectively rendered the Middle East trade routes insignificant due to the redirection of traffic. The loss of revenue due to the lack of trading diminished the economic prosperity of the Ottoman Empire. Additionally, the empire was inflicted with inflation, famine, and revolts. With an internally struggling government, the empire began to decentralize with provinces gaining more power. All the factors of a failing economy collectively drove the empire into