Political and expansion of suleiman the great

Under Suleiman, popularly known as ” the Magnificent” or ” the Lawmaker” the Ottoman Empire reached its peak in its military and political power. Suleiman’s armies conquered Hungary, over which the Ottomans maintained control for over 150 years, and they advanced as far west as Vienna, threatening the Habsburgs. To the east, the Ottoman forces took control of Iraq from the Safavids of Iran. In the Mediterranean, their navy captured all the main North African ports, and for a time the Ottoman fleet completely dominated the sea. For a time the Ottoman fleet completely dominated the sea. By the end of Suleiman’s reign, the Ottoman Empire extended over a great portion of Europe, Asia, and Africa. From the age of 17 Suleiman was given a number of important political posts, including three governorships. While Sultan Suleiman was known as ” the Magnificent” in the West, he was always Kanuni Suleiman or ” The Lawgiver” to his own Ottoman subjects. Suleiman was great both politically and in warfare. The overriding law of the empire was the Shari’ah, or Sacred Law, which as the divine law of Islam was outside of the Sultan’s powers to change. Yet an area of distinct law known as the Kanuns (canonical legislation) was dependent on Suleiman’s will alone, covering areas such as criminal law, land tenure and taxation. He issued a single legal code, all the while being careful not to violate the basic laws of Islam. His laws became known as the Ottoman laws. These laws lasted for over three hundred years. Suleiman has made the Ottoman Empire reach its peak in many different aspects, but especially in its military. Suleiman caused the Ottoman Empire to expand and gain more land. The lands that he conquered are Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia, Hungary, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, parts of Arabia, and much of the coastal strip of North Africa. All of these lands added to their empire making it bigger and stronger. These many lands were all controlled by Suleiman, he expanded his empire a lot and made it a lot stronger. Suleiman was a great political and military leader. He ruled his people very justly, and also expanded his land gaining many lands to the great empire. His people loved him for being a just ruler. He brought the Ottoman Empire to its peak, causing it to be known as one of the greatest empires. The Empire began to decline after being defeated at the Battle of Lepanto (1571) and losing almost its entire navy. It declined further during the next centuries, and was effectively finished off by the First World War and the Balkan Wars.