The Ottoman Empire started going into decline as a result of both internal and external factors. Internally, the Ottomans suffered from major problems. The first problem was the death of Suleiman’s, after his death, the sultans were less capable and energetic. Without the sultan's strong hand at the power, corruption became a major problem. Second, the Janissaries became a virtual hereditary caste, demanding more pay while they also grew soft and lazy. Moreover, the economic decline hurt the empire militarily in two ways that fed back into further economic decline. First of all, after 1600, the Turks lost their technological and military edge. While European armies were constantly upgrading their artillery and firearms, the Ottomans let
