Research On Gunpowder Weapons In The Ottoman Empire From The 14th To The 17th Century

The improvement and large-scale application of gunpowder weapons greatly changed the nature of war,which triggered a series of social changes and accelerated the transformation of modern European society.Some historians called a series of changes "military revolutions".Or the "Gunpowder Revolution".In the east wind of this technological change,the Ottoman Empire,relying on the geographical advantage of its proximity to Europe,came into contact with gunpowder weapons in the exchanges with the Balkan countries,and successfully incorporated them into the original military system,helping the Ottoman Empire quickly rise.At the same time,it also profoundly affected the development of the Ottoman Empire.This paper consists of three parts.The introduction chapter firstly discusses the background and significance of the topic selection of this paper,and then briefly reviews the research status of relevant issues at home and abroad.Finally,it describes the research ideas and methods,and briefly explains the related concepts involved in the paper.The main body is divided into three chapters.The first chapter is divided into two parts.The first part mainly investigates the invention and spread of gunpowder and gunpowder weapons,and briefly sorts out the development of gunpowder weapons.The second part discusses the introduction of gunpowder weapons in the Ottoman Empire.First,the development of gunpowder weapons in early modern Europe is briefly described.Subsequently,the production of gunpowder weapons in the Balkans was discussed,thereby illustrating that this region was the main source of gunpowder weapons for the Ottoman Empire.Finally,the reasons and ways of introducing gunpowder weapons into the Ottoman Empire are discussed.The second chapter discusses the application and development of gunpowder weapons in the Ottoman Empire from the 15 th to the 17 th century.The first part of this chapter briefly introduces the basic situation of gunpowder production in the Ottoman Empire and the gunpowder trade with Western Europe from the 15 th to the 17 th centuries.The second and third parts focus on the establishment and reform of the Ottoman Empire’s professional army,the production of gunpowder weapons and the research and development of military tactics.In this way,the development of gunpowder weapons in the Ottoman Empire from the 15 th to the 17 th centuries is introduced as comprehensively as possible.The fourth part also briefly discusses the role of gunpowder weapons on the battlefield and compares them with contemporary Western European armies.The third chapter mainly analyzes the influence of gunpowder weapons on the Ottoman Empire.The application of gunpowder weapons had a certain impact on the Ottoman Empire’s military tactics,army establishment,logistical supplies and military finances,which made the Ottoman Empire carry out corresponding reforms and promoted the development of gunpowder weapons.In addition,the large-scale use of gunpowder weapons has also become the main reason for the transformation of the Guards.In the conclusion part,a brief exposition is mainly aimed at several issues.First of all,it shows that the continuous innovation of firearm technology in Europe has promoted the spread of gunpowder weapons.The reasons for the improvement of gunpowder weapons in the Ottoman Empire are then discussed.At the same time,it also pointed out the important role that gunpowder weapons played in foreign wars.Finally,this paper argues that with the application of gunpowder weapons,the elite military class of the Ottoman Empire continued to grow,but it became more and more conservative,and began to resist the spread of new technologies,which became the biggest factor hindering the development of military technology in the Ottoman Empire.