The Ottoman Empire, 1300-1650 -

: Overhauled the legal system, earning the title "The Lawgiver."

: Positioned near the weakening Byzantine Empire.

: Religious minorities (Jews and Christians) governed their own communal affairs.

used massive cannons to breach the "impregnable" walls of Constantinople. He renamed it Istanbul , turning it into a thriving cosmopolitan hub and ending the Byzantine Empire. Expansion East and South

: Formation of an elite infantry corps from Balkan Christian youths. The Golden Age of Expansion (1451–1566)

: Early conquests moved the capital into Europe (Thrace).