Evaluate the contribution of the Ottomans to Islamic culture.

Candidates will make an appraisal of the contribution of the Ottomans to Islamic culture, weighing up the strengths and importance or otherwise of this contribution. The results may extend beyond the timeframe but must be clearly linked to the issue raised in the question. Candidates may evaluate religious contributions in which Sunni orthodoxy was strengthened and Shi’ism suppressed. Sufism was expanded under the Ottomans, who supported and popularized this spiritual, mystic movement. The dervish movements were encouraged in order to liberalize religious practice and loosen prohibitions on coffee, tobacco and music, thus making Islamic culture less austere. The Ottomans promoted a sense of Muslim power and superiority and supported strong resistance to Western ideas and culture. In literature, they expanded printing, particularly in Arabic, and promoted Persian styles in literature and poetry. They made the Ottoman world more cosmopolitan by introducing Greek, Anatolian and Asian styles into architecture, music, art and literature. Their extensive trading networks brought a range of influences from the Orient in food, dress, and scientific and technical knowledge. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.