Since the beginning of the Ottoman Empire, a main goal was to expand. After the break down of the Seljuk Turk Empire, the Ottoman Turks were quick to control and rule the states that previously belonged to the former empire. In the late 1300’s they were able to gain more land and they eventually spread out to Europe; after an early fall in the Ottoman Empire capital Bursa. The Empire continued to grow in the early 1400’s once they defeated some militaries. They also expanded greatly after they successfully captured Constantinople in 1453. During the late years of the 1400’s they grew even more and took control of all Turkish dynasties. They also grew in power as they had a tolerance for a variety of religions. Even though these series of events helped with the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, it wasn’t until the 'Period of Great Expansion' where the empire reached its peak.
During the 'Period of Great Expansion', the empire was able to expand to the lands of over ten different Middle Eastern and Europe states. The Expansion also continued once they defeated the Mamluks in Syria and Egypt in 1517, the Algiers in 1518 and Hungary in 1526. In 1535, Turkey once again gained more power once the reign of Suleiman I began and the empire expanded to cover Hungary, eventually reaching the gates of Vienna. This is when the judicial system (the system of courts that manage justice) was rearranged in Turkey, causing Turkish culture to grow incredibly, as well as the Ottoman Empire.
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