Study On Busbecqs Letters History Essay

Study On Busbecqs Letters History EssayI would like to analyse some Western European descriptions of the powderpuff Empire from The Turkish Letters, written by Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, who portrayd the Ottoman Empire in a series of earn that he wrote when he served Ferdinand I of Austria as the ambassador for the Holy papist Empire to the Ottoman Empire from 1554 to 1562. Included in this paper is my analytic regaining on parts of three of his letters which are concerned with in particular the Turkish soldiery, the Turks openness or lack thereof in borrowing from other cultures, and Christian Slaves. Busbecq presents an absorbing eyewitness account of the Ottoman Empire from the perspective of a rise educated Western perceiver at the time of the Ottomans salientest ever ruler Sultan Suleiman The Magnificent. In the letters Busbecq describes some of the workings and details of the Turkish Army, including interesting entropy on The Janissaries. In a nonher letter he talks some the Turks openness in adapting armed forces manoeuvres and combat skills of the Europeans such as that of the Greeks, and their vacillation in adopting utilizationful things such as public clocks and opinion ledgers. In the third letter he portrays some information on the Christian slaves of the Ottoman Empire. He details impressions on everything he aphorism and experienced in Turkey from the army, slavery, and other matters and does so with literary gift and though quite gripping there is a strong gap that his depiction was slightly exaggerated because he was trying to bring nearly reform at home.Of particular significance is his account of the Turkish Army where goes into vivid detail round the campaigns. The Sultan when he sets out on a campaign, takes as many an(prenominal) as 40,000 camels with him, and most as many baggage-mules This is an explicit illustration of the organisation, might, and sheer size of the Sultans army. Busbecq further goes on to describ e the Turks campaign into Persia, the way rations are used, and the importance of the soldiers health. He also makes vizor on the Sultans respect and willingness to help the soldiers whenever he could by assisting ill-fated soldiers who go through come across bad luck in losing their horse or suffering from illness or injury. Suleiman the Magnificent is plausibly the most famous figure in Turkish history. For the Turks his status is legendary and his reign sawing machine the coarseest extension of Turkish power. His devotion to his have religion and his perimeter of other faiths, his charity and generosity, won him the loyalty of his subjects and the respect of his enemies.The Janissaries represented the well trained and adaptable soldiers for the Turkish army. They were well looked after and respected for their courageousness in battle, repeated victories, and experience in warfare hence they were extremely valued. They were a product of Suleimans progressive system.The Tu rks adopted from the Europeans many smooth military combat techniques and the use of canons to great effect in their battles, for example the shaft against the door which was formerly used by the Greeks and the Turks had adopted from them. Conversely at the same time the Turks were never able to bring themselves into accepting the use of public clocks or to print books. As Busbecq strongly puts it They take on that their scriptures, that is, their sacred books, would no longer be scriptures if they were printed and if they established public clocks, they prize that the authority of their muezzins and their ancient rights would suffer diminution. This I believe is an understandable posture considering their position and their culture. They did non want their culture to be diluted this is not to say they werent tolerant to other cultures but only to keep their own pure from western influence.The extract of the letter by Busbecq in Documents in World History on Christian slaves po rtrays completely bleak and lowly image for the slaves Youths and men of advanced years were driven along in herds or else tied together with chains..At the sight I could scantily restrain my tears in pity for the wretched plight of the Christian population. This particular document if read by some maven not familiar with Busbecqs writings and general view of the Ottomans could be misleading. In his book The Turkish Letters Busbecq explains the advantages of Ottoman slavery and stipulates that it outweighs the drawbacks. For example, young male slaves had the chance to have a prestigious career and be trained as Janissaries or diplomats.Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq wrote impressions on everything he saw and experienced in Turkey, including landscapes, plants, animals, Islam, ethnic groups, architecture, slavery, military, court practices, clothing, gender and domestic relations, the Sultan himself, and even plants and animals. I think his letters offer lessons in understanding and appreciating cultural differences. It is clear to me that he describes the Ottoman Empire as being powerful and admirable he makes it obvious that he respects the Ottomans in many ways and almost even considers them as better than the great European nations. Nonetheless I suggest that he may have been exaggerating what he thought and knew about the Ottomans to an extent in an attempt to bring about reform in Western Europe. After all he was writing at or near the time when the Ottoman Empire was at the pinnacle of its power, and one of his aims could have been to frighten European rulers and governments into transformation and improvement. Keeping this in mental capacity I would still consider The Turkish Letters a great source of insight and entertaining reading. The letters are a measuring for understanding the Ottoman Empire written with frankness and in great detail by a noted diplomat with an established reputation.