Unsuccessful Members of a Successful Group?

Ottoman history (and the history of Islamdom as a whole) is permeated by the notion of decline, whether viewed as a failure to live up to the example of Muhammad or as a failure to keep up with northwestern Europe in the Industrial Revolution. If the Ottomans did not keep up with some of the European powers in the 1700s and 1800s, the same is true of some of the other European powers. We tend to treat the Spanish as the unsuccessful members of a successful group (“Europeans”) and the Ottomans as the successful members of an unsuccessful group (“Muslims”). This division, which is also reflected in the organization of the chapters of this book, distracts us from the similarity in their experiences. Military innovation was by no means evenly distributed throughout Europe. Practical experience was nurtured in the “Schooles of Warre” – the Low Countries, Germany, and Hungary – the last of which also exposed the Ottomans to the same lessons. Weapons production migrated with other industries…

Commenting on Bubbles has been removed. Why? If you want to talk about this post, write to the author, use the comments on their blog if it has them, or reply with a "RE:" post on your own blog. Suggestions? feedback@bubbles.town