I.

Introduction

Ottoman Empire, Turkish empire which endured from c. 1300 to 1922. Centred on the region of modern Turkey, at its greatest extent it spanned three continents, covering the area from Hungary in the north to Aden in the south and from Algeria in the west to the Iranian frontier in the east. Through its vassal state of the Khanate of the Crimea, Ottoman power also extended into the Ukraine and southern Russia. Its name derives from its founder, the Turkish Muslim warrior, Osman, who established the dynasty which ruled over the empire throughout its history.