The rise of the Ottoman Empire - Mostafa Minawi

Translator: Noelia Bernárdez Alonso Reviewer: Xusto Rodriguez

In the late 13th century, Osman I established a small beylik,

A finais do século XIII, Osman I estabeleceu un pequeno beylik,

or principality, in what is now Turkey.

ou principado, no que hoxe é Turquía.

In just a few generations, this beylik outmaneuvered more powerful neighbors

En poucas xeracións, este beylik superou os seus veciños máis poderosos

to become the vast Ottoman empire.

para se converter no vasto Imperio Otomán.

What enabled its rapid rise?

Cales foron as circunstancias deste rápido ascenso?

In Osman’s time, the Anatolian peninsula was a patchwork of Turkic principalities

Nos tempos de Osman, Anatolia era un mosaico de principados turcos

sandwiched between a crumbling Byzantine Empire

intercalados entre un Imperio Bizantino case en ruínas

and weakened Sultanate of the Seljuk of Rum.

e un Sultanato do Rum debilitado.

Osman quickly expanded this territory

Osman axiña expandiu este territorio

through a mixture of strategic political alliances

grazas a unha mestura de alianzas políticas estratéxicas

and military conflicts with these neighbors,

e conflitos militares con estes veciños.

attracting mercenaries first with the promise of booty,

Primeiro, atraeu os mercenarios prometéndolles botíns;

then later through his reputation for winning.

despois, pola súa fama de vencedor.

Osman was the first in a line of Ottoman rulers distinguished

Osman foi o primeiro dunha liñaxe de gobernantes otománs caracterizados

by their political shrewdness.

pola súa astucia para a política e que,

Often prioritizing political and military utility over ethnic or religious affinity,

priorizando o interese político e militar sobre a afinidade étnica ou relixiosa,

they expanded their influence by fighting along certain sides when needed,

ampliaron a súa influencia loitando nuns bandos cando era preciso

and fighting against them when the time was right.

e contra eses mesmos bandos cando lles conviña.

After Osman’s death his son Orhan

Tras a morte de Osman, o seu fillo Orhan

established a sophisticated military organization and tax collection system

creou un sistema de organización militar e de recadación de impostos sofisticado

geared towards funding quick territorial expansion.

co obxecto de financiar unha rápida expansión territorial.

The Ottomans’ first major expansion was in the Balkans, in southeast Europe.

A primeira grande expansión dos otománs deuse nos Balcáns, no sueste de Europa.

The military employed a mixture of Turkic warriors and Byzantine

O exército formábano unha mestura de guerreiros turcos e cristiáns conversos

and other Balkan Christian converts.

bizantinos e doutros pobos balcánicos.

They captured thousands of young Christian boys

Capturaron milleiros de mozos cristiáns

polas aldeas dos Balcáns,

from villages from across the Balkans,

converted them to Islam, and trained them to become the backbone

convertéronos ao islam e adestráronos para transformalos nos piares

dunha temíbel elite militar coñecida como os xanízaros.

of a fierce military elite force known as the Janissaries.

The captured enslaved boys could rise to the high position of a vizier

Os mozos escravos capturados podían ascender ata o alto cargo de visir

in the Ottoman government.

dentro do goberno otomán.

Rulers of conquered areas were also allowed, even encouraged,

Os gobernantes das zonas conquistadas tamén tiñan permitido

to convert to Islam and take positions in the Ottoman government.

converterse ao islam e ocupar postos no goberno otomán. Mesmo se fomentaba.

Meanwhile, non-Muslims who belonged to Abrahamic religions

Mentres, ás persoas que non eran musulmás e practicaban relixións abrahámicas

were allowed religious freedom in exchange for a tax known as Jizye,

concedíaselles liberdade relixiosa a cambio dun imposto coñecido como jizye

among other strict conditions—

e de cumpriren outras estritas condicións.

for example, they were not allowed to join the army.

Por exemplo, non estaban autorizadas a alistarse no exército.

By the end of the 14th century, the Ottomans had conquered or subordinated

A finais do século XIV, os otománs conquistaran ou subordinaran xa

most of the Anatolian beyliks as well as the Balkans.

a maior parte dos beyliks de Anatolia, ademais dos Balcáns.

But in the first half of the 15th century,

Porén, na primeira metade do século XV,

as Sultan Beyazit I focused on Western expansion,

mentres o sultán Beyazit I se centraba na expansión polo oeste,

the Central Asian ruler Timur attacked from the east.

o gobernante centroasiático Tamerlán atacou polo leste.

He captured Beyazit and carted him off in an iron cage,

Capturou a Beyazit e levouno metido nunha gaiola de ferro,

o que desencadeou unha loita sucesoria que durou 10 anos

sparking a ten year struggle for succession

that almost destroyed the Ottoman empire.

e que estivo a piques de acabar co Imperio Otomán.

Sultan Murad II turned this trend around,

O sultán Murad II inverteu esta tendencia,

but fell short of one of his loftiest goals:

mais non atinxiu unha das súas metas máis ambiciosas:

capturing the Byzantine capital, Constantinople.

tomar a capital bizantina, Constantinopla.

His son, Sultan Mehmed II, or Mehmed the Conqueror,

O seu fillo, o sultán Mehmed II, o Conquistador,

vowed to succeed where his father had failed.

xurou que conseguiría o que non puidera o seu pai.

In preparation for the attack on Constantinople,

Co fin de preparar o ataque a Constantinopla,

he hired a Hungarian engineer to forge the largest cannon in the world,

contratou un enxeñeiro húngaro para forxar o canón máis longo do mundo,

used Serbian miners to dig tunnels under the walls of the city,

usou mineiros serbios para escavar túneles baixo a muralla da cidade

and ordered his fleet of ships to be carried overland,

e mandou que se transportase a súa frota por terra

attacking the city from an unexpected direction.

para atacar a cidade desde unha dirección inesperada.

He laid siege to the city and in the spring of 1453,

Asediou a cidade e, na primavera de 1453,

Constantinople fell to the Ottomans.

Constantinopla caeu ante os otománs

e converteuse na capital do imperio baixo o seu nome común en grego, Istanbul,

It would become the Ottoman capital, known by its common Greek name, Istanbul,

meaning “to the city.”

que significa «á cidade».

By the time Mehmed II conquered Constantinople,

Cando Mehmed II conquistou Constantinopla,

the city was a shadow of its former glory.

a urbe era unha sombra do que fora,

Under Ottoman rule, it flourished once again.

mais, baixo o dominio otomán, recuperou a súa antiga gloria.

On an average day in Istanbul, you could hear people speaking Greek, Turkish,

Nun día normal, en Istanbul oíase xente falando en grego, turco,

Armenian, Persian, Arabic, Bulgarian, Albanian, and Serbian.

armenio, persa, árabe, búlgaro, albanés e serbio.

Architects like the famous Sinan filled the city with splendid mosques

Os arquitectos, como o famoso Sinan, encheron a cidade de espléndidas mesquitas

and other buildings commissioned by the sultans.

e doutros edificios encargados polos sultáns.

Through Istanbul, the Otttomans brought commodities like coffee to Europe.

Por Istanbul, os otománs introduciron en Europa produtos coma o café.

They entered a golden age of economic growth,

Entraron nunha época dourada de crecemento económico,

adquisicións territoriais, arte e arquitectura.

territorial acquisition, art and architecture.

They brought together craftspeople from across Europe, Africa,

Atraeron artesáns de toda Europa, África,

the Middle East and Central Asia to create a unique blend of cultural innovation.

Oriente Medio e Asia Central para crearen unha mestura única de innovación cultural.

Iznik ceramics, for example,

A cerámica de Iznik, por exemplo,

were made using techniques from China’s Ming dynasty,

elaborábase usando técnicas da Dinastía Ming, da China,

reimagined with Ottoman motifs.

mais reimaxinada con motivos otománs.

The Ottomans would continue to expand,

Os otománs seguiron expandíndose,

cementing their political influence and lucrative trade routes.

afianzando a súa influencia política e as lucrativas rutas comerciais.

The empire lasted for more than 600 years and, at its peak,

O imperio durou máis de 600 anos e, no seu cume,

stretched from Hungary to the Persian Gulf,

estendíase desde Hungría até o golfo Pérsico

from the Horn of Africa to the Crimean Peninsula.

e do Corno de África á península de Crimea.