Description
The thesis aims to study the period of changing maritime technologies during 16th and 17th centuries when the Ottoman Empire followed and adopted some of them. In this regard, the thesis takes the Ottoman transition period to the galleon technology as a main discussion issue. To detect the Ottoman position in the periods of changing maritime technologies properly, the thesis suggests an examination that does not have any belatedness or decline perspectives. In this way, the thesis discusses firstly the Ottoman maritime history until the 17th century by focusing on some cornerstones that had been shaped the perception of the Ottomans towards adopting new technological developments. Then, the thesis also examines the technological changes in the navies of the major early modern seaborne states in detail to suggest that the Ottomans were not incapable in following or adopting recent nautical technologies. In the thesis, certain militarily and political developments are suggested as causes for the Ottoman persistency towards using oar ships during the 16th and 17th centuries. Finally, fiscal condition of the Ottoman Empire is pointed as a primary cause for the possible delay for galleon building in the 17th century. Keywords: The Ottoman Empire, maritime technology, galleon, galley, maritime history.