I have purposely refrained from expressing an opinion as to the future of Turkey, after the conclusion of the existing great war. The problems which will then have to be solved are of a different order to those of the past which have been dealt with in this book. The Turkish Empire, in the sense of the rule of an alien race over subject races, has practically ceased to exist in Europe. It survives in Asia and at its capital, Constantinople, under very different conditions. With respect to the numerous works I have consulted for the latter part of my book, I desire specially to acknowledge my indebtedness to Mr. Lane Poole’s admirable _Life of Lord Stratford de Redcliffe_. I have to thank Lord Bryce, Lord Fitzmaurice, and Sir Edwin Pears for their valuable suggestions, and Lady Byles and Mr. Laurence Chubb for their kind help. E. _June 1, 1917._ CONTENTS _PART I_ THE GROWTH OF EMPIRE PAGE I. OTHMAN (1288-1326) 13 II. ORCHAN (1326-59) 20 III. MURAD I (1359-89) 31 IV. BAYEZID I (1389-1403) 44 V. MAHOMET I (1413-21) 59 VI. MURAD II (1421-51) 64 VII. MAHOMET II, ‘THE CONQUEROR’ (1451-81) 73 VIII. BAYEZID II (1481-1512) 98 IX. SELIM I (1512-20) 103 X. SOLYMAN THE MAGNIFICENT (1520-66) 114 XI. GRAND VIZIER SOKOLLI (1566-78) 136 _PART II_ THE DECAY OF EMPIRE XII. THE RULE OF SULTANAS (1578-1656) 151 XIII. THE KIUPRILI VIZIERS (1656-1702) 168 XIV. TO THE TREATY OF PASSAROWITCH (1702-18) 191 XV. TO THE TREATY OF BELGRADE (1718-39) 203 XVI. TO THE TREATY OF KAINARDJI (1739-74) 211 XVII. TO THE TREATY OF JASSY (1774-92) 223 XVIII. TO THE TREATY OF BUCHAREST (1792-1812) 238 XIX. MAHMOUD II (1808-39) 255 XX. THE RULE OF ELCHIS (1839-76) 287 XXI. ABDUL HAMID II (1876-1909) 316 XXII. THE YOUNG TURKS (1909-14) 352 XXIII. A RETROSPECT 369 APPENDIX—GENEALOGY OF THE OTTOMAN SULTANS 382 INDEX 385 LIST OF MAPS 1. SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE AT THE TIME OF THE FIRST ENTRY OF THE OTTOMANS IN 1353 _Facing page_ 31 2. THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE AT THE TIME OF ITS GREATEST EXTENT _Facing page_ 148 3. SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE AND ASIA MINOR IN 1914 _Facing page_ 369 _PART I_ THE GROWTH OF EMPIRE OTHMAN 1288-1326