Both Western Europe and the Ottoman Empire from 1450-1750 were based on rule by a single royal family, though Europe consisted of competing states while the Ottoman Empire was a unified empire. Agriculture and land ownership were key to both economies, and both attempted to control trade and production. While Europe remained Christian, the Ottoman Empire was Islamic, but religion played a major role in politics and society for both. Both emphasized military technology like gunpowder, though Western science continued advancing using multiple civilizations while the Ottoman Empire limited science to Muslim sources.

1. Western Europe – Continuities Compared with the Ottoman Empire 1450s to 1750s