Change and Continuity in Constantinople

Constantinople was a city with a long a diverse history especially through the years of 1450 to 1750. Between these to dates Constantinople changed drastically in its political structure. Constantinople also had a tremendous chance in its trade activity. Innovation both militarily and nonmilitary within this city however remained virtually unchanged between 1450 to 1750. In short Constantinople transformed itself between 1450 to 1750 in the fields of government and business, but remained constant in its technological advancements. In the area of politics the chance of Constantinople couldn’t have been more drastic in the years between 1450 and 1750. In1453 the Byzantine Empire fell to the Ottoman Empire in the siege of Constantinople. This in turn allowed the Ottoman Turks to take Constantinople and completely defeat the rest of the remaining Byzantine Empire. The Ottoman Empire renamed the city to Istanbul and made it one of there capitals of there empire that ruled most all of the Middle East. The city was extremely vulnerable to attack because of the forth crusades that sacked the city and heavily depleted its population and allowed ottomans to take it. This new government allowed for the growth of religions, even make Constantinople a once Christian stronghold to a predominantly Muslim city. This new government also allowed for a large rise in population going from a few thousand in the 15th century to the over half a million in the 18th century. This was caused by an increase of culture and artwork due to the leadership of Suleiman the Magnificent. The other massive change in Constantinople between 1450 to 1750 was the amount of trade that was preformed. The lack of trade was because of Ottoman conquering of the city in 1453. This capture of the city created total dominance of the Middle East created a regional block of all trade routes effectively creating an Ottoman trade monopoly which allowed the Ottomans to charge whatever they wanted, this made it unprofitable to trade for the Asian goods that Europeans wanted so bad. This was the largest reason for the Europe’s age of exploration. The simple fact that the prices were too high making trade impractical causing a lack of trade and Europeans looking to the sea for trade with Asia. This in contrast with the previous large amounts of trade that use to go through Constantinople because of its great location between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Those most elements of the city of Constantinople were changed by the new empire that ruled it the one thing that stayed the same was the technology that was used in Constantinople. The Ottoman Turks were very regressive and didn’t embrace new technologies. This lack of progression caused by the Ottoman conservative clergy plus the lack of trade cause a lack of diffusion and a lack of advancements in there society. This all the while the rest of the world was making leaps and bounds forward. This was what caused the long term demise of the Ottoman.