Ottomans In The Indian Ocean

It is amazing how successful the Ottomans were in establishing control over first the Eastern Mediterranean and then ultimately in expanding into the Indian Ocean.  They went from being a mostly land-based conglomeration of Central Asian tribes to a unified people that was militarily dominant on land and sea during the reign of Suleiman I.

It seems that keeping the Ottoman navy strong and technologically fit was a priority of the sultans of the 16th century.  Bayezid II completed the conquest of the Aegean islands that was started by Mehmed the Conqueror.  Selim I defeated the Mamluks in Egypt and extended control over Syria and part of the Arabian peninsula.  And, of course, Suleiman I  expanded the empire over the coast of North Africa and solidified the Ottomans' position in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.  Although the navy suffered a defeat by the Portuguese in the 1550's and at the battle of Lepanto, it seems that the navy was built back up afterwards.

Seeing all these successes and the fact that the Ottomans were giving the other European maritime powers something to be afraid of, some things are still perplexing to me:

Was there a significant change in Ottoman naval technology from the navy's beginnings under Mehmet II to its height under Selim II?  Did they make ships that would be able to sail in open ocean waters and that could compete with large European ships?

How far into the Indian Ocean did the Ottomans go; did they make it to the East Indies or did they just concentrate on the spice trade with India?

It seems to me that since the Ottomans had an alliance with France and was on friendly terms with some of the Protestant principalities that they could have used this to their advantage in the Mediterranean, and could have concentrated even more on expansion in the Indian Ocean.

I've never heard of military campaigns in Indonesia by Ottoman forces, i can be wrong dear byzantine emperor.

Also Ottomans sended similar ship to Japan in late 18th century who later sunk near one of the islands of japan. Its named "Ertughrul" ship, in east asia subforum whas there a topic about created by jagatai khan.

I know they sended troops because when there the tsunami break out (in atjeh) a Turkish village whas destructed from the tsunami and the earthquake and such. they told the inhabitants of the village where mainly Ottoman soldiers who where once sended to india to secure that island and for good relation/tradingship.

sorry for misspelling youre nick, ill edit it.

It seems to me that the Ottomans did have a trade-related interest in conquering Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Hejaz, so as to share a part of the Indian Ocean trade. However, I don't think that they were directly involved as a maritime power, at least not on a large scale. Rather, by controlling the 3 strategic bottlenecks of the 16th century Eurasian trade system: the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Black Sea, they got a share of all the commercial traffic passing through those areas. Why would they incurr the expense and risk of a large commercial fleet, when others could do it, and they cvould take part of the spoils?

I believe that this attitude was ultimately very detrimental to them. Once the Portuguese circumvented Africa and disrupted the millenia-old Indian Ocean commercial system; and once cheap silver started to flow in from the Americas, creating high inflation in an empire where silver was the basis of commercial exchange, then the economy of the Ottoman Empire entered a crisis. Had the Ottomans had a strong commercial and military fleet, they could have taken matters in their own hands, challenged the Portuguese and later the Dutch, and maintain the traditional trade routes from India, China and the Spice Islands through the Indian Ocean and on to Europe. Instead, they found themselves mired in an economic crisis that prevented them from building that fleet and creating companies which could compete with the Europeans in the global trade. In my opinion, it was this failure more than anything that led to the decline of the Ottoman Empire.

Ah, so in this part of the empire, the Ottomans basically sat back and collected the customs duties from other merchants who were using their Arabian port towns.

It is interesting to note that in this part of the world, where Islam had not yet touched (southeastern Africa, southern India, and the Oceanic islands) the Ottomans were more focused on tending to their economic interests than extending the boundaries of the Muslim world.

Good point.  I forgot about the financial crisis in the Ottoman Empire that occurred as a result of the flow of silver into Europe from the colonies.  The 1-2 punch of that and the defeat and destruction of their navy at Lepanto and by the Portuguese kind of spelled the end of Ottoman expansionist aspirations.

Really?  Can you elaborate any further?

This is a fascinating exchange. The Ottomans are often identified as one of the least geographically curious of Empires, but that label is probably not deserved if the discussion is accurate.

Day1, I would love to learn more about the Ottoman vessel that sank en route to Japan.

Check this out, memoirs of an Ottoman Admiral, shipwrecked in the Indian Ocean. Great read:

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00generallinks/ sidialireis/

One of The last attempts of Ottoman empire spreading his power whas to singapore in 1895 during Abdulhamit II, they sended many proffessor's (religious ones mainly) and the first translated Qur'an to malay language. The other main whas to have close ties with eastern muslim country's and good/secure trade route.

Then later they sended a boat (ertugrul) to japan, in return it whas sunk by heavy storms, they say adbulhamit didnt eat or speak for days/weeks when he heard that because he sended his best men (around 500) to japan to have close ties with them.