The Ottaman Empire also known as Turkey was one of the most powerful empires of Europe in the sixteenth century. The Turks came to Europe from Asia Minor in the fourteenth century and occupied Constantinople in 1453.
Later on they occupied the whole of Balkan Peninsula, Hungary and southern Russia. Their empire also included other territories like Asia Minor, Syria, Iraq, Egypt and North Africa west to Morocco. The Ottaman Empire reached its zenith under Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-66).
However, after the death of Suleiman the empire began to decline. There was complete failure of administrative machinery in the country and the policy of religious intolerance pursued by the Sultans created numerous problems and greatly undermined the position and prestige of Turkey in the otyes of other powers.
No doubt, Turkey was able to revive her prestige for a while under Mohammad IV when the Turkish armies successfully besieged Vienna for several weeks, but thereafter the Turkish empire began to decline. The Hapsburgs drove the Turks from Hungary and even invaded the Balkans. During the next century the Turkish Empire considerably shrank and most of its possessions in Europe were whittled down by Austrians, Poles, Russians, Venetians. Infact after 1683 Turkey was no longer considered as a menace to Europe.
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In view of the weak position of Turkey, the Western Powers developed deep interest in the area in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Both Austria and Russia made a bid to acquire the European portions of the Ottaman Empire. These powers hardly paid any attention to the interests of the people and treated them merely as pawns in the great game of politics.
On the other hand, Munich and Potemkin played with the Rumanians and took up the cause of Eastern Church in order to arouse a Holy War against Ottaman Empire not so much with a view to liberate her subject races but to promote her imperialistic interests. Again, Russia projected herself as protector of Eastern Christians solely with a view to ensure that she should be able to intervene in the Turkish affairs at the critical moment.
Thus by the end of the eighteenth century Ottaman power had substantially declined in the Balkans. This is evident from the fact that in 1799 when Montenegro rose against the Turks Sultan Selim III had to acknowledge its independence.
Similarly a little later in 1804 some renegade Turkish troops in Belgrade disobeyed the order of the Sultan and went on a rampage and forced the Siberian people to defend themselves. This later on led to Serbia acquiring an autonomous position.