ABSTRACT
As the Spaniards were conquering Tenochtitlan, the greatest ruler of the Ottoman Empire and one of the greatest rulers in world history, Suleiman the magnificent (as Europeans called him) or Suleiman the Lawgiver (as his own people called him), came to power. More importantly, Suleiman extended the Ottoman empire farther into Europe by capturing Belgrade, Hungary, in 1521. This opened the path for the Ottoman armies to sweep into the remainder of Hungary and Southern Germany. Apart from military expansion, Suleiman's reign is rightly considered the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire. Having inherited a fairly stable empire internally—his father had killed off most people who might challenge him— Suleiman was able to promote a program of art, literature, poetry, and architecture that remains significant to this day. Have a class discussion about similarities and differences in the states or empires and make sure to talk about the contrast with England and the Dutch Republic's constitutional monarchies.
