Why did Ottoman Turkey expedition to Europe after its rise? Why not explore Asia?

The Ottoman Empire is a powerful empire created by ancient Turks, and its territory spans three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. The Ottoman Empire existed for more than 600 years, which had a far-reaching influence on Eastern European and Mediterranean countries. The ancestors of the Ottoman royal family were originally nomadic people living in Central Asia. When Mongolia was on the Western Expedition, the Ottoman family began to move westward in order to avoid the war. After years of trekking, the Ottoman family entered Asia Minor Peninsula and became mercenaries of the Sultanate of Rome at that time.

Through the efforts of chiefs and sultans, the Ottoman family gained a firm foothold in Asia Minor Peninsula. When the Sultanate of Rome declined, Osman I, the leader of the Ottoman family, successfully got rid of the rule of the suzerain country and turned the sword of conquest on the dying Byzantine Empire. Osman I led brave nomadic warriors against the Byzantine Empire. When Osman I's life came to an end, the Turks conquered bursa, the last stronghold of the Byzantine Empire in Asia Minor, and the fall of this city paved the way for the Turks to March into Europe.

After that, for a long time, Ottoman Turks rarely participated in the affairs of the East, and they kept marching into Europe. After the death of Osman I, his son orhan gazi, after careful preparation, led the army across the Da Daniil Strait, and the Turks set foot on European soil for the first time. Through the efforts of orhan gazi, Murad I and Bayeset I, the Ottoman family occupied a lot of land in the Balkans, and the rapid expansion of Turks frightened European residents.

Until AD 1453, the Turks captured Constantinople under the leadership of Muhammad Ⅱ, and the Byzantine Empire was declared dead. The fall of Constantinople marked the slow invasion of Europe by the Ottoman Empire, and the Sultan of the Empire began to pay attention to the Iranian plateau in the east and the land in North Africa. However, the Ottoman Empire's invasion of the East was far less smooth than when they invaded Europe. The Ottoman Empire fought a protracted war with Iran's Safavi and Afshar dynasties for more than 200 years, and both sides lost.

When the Ottoman Sultan realized that he could not occupy much advantage in the East, the Turks began to re-enter the European battlefield. But at this time, Europeans became stronger. They hit the Ottoman army hard in the 1683 Vienna War, which became a turning point in the fate of the Ottoman Empire. The reason why the Ottoman Empire insisted on invading Europe was explained by Stanford Shaw, the author of The Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey: "In the early days of the Ottoman Empire, Turks found it easier for them to invade Europe than to pay their neighbors in the East. Those eastern powers always made the Ottoman Empire suffer. "

Indeed, before the17th century, for Turks, the neighbors in the east of the empire were stronger than those in the west. They were always invincible when they fought on the western front, but they suffered humiliation when they fought on the eastern front. When the Ottoman family just rose, the ilhan State established by the Mongols still existed. During this period, Turks did not dare to provoke the State of ilhan. Although ilhan has also declined, the Ottoman family is more afraid of the descendants of Genghis Khan than the Byzantine Empire.

By AD 1402, the Ottoman Sultan Bayeset I, who had made Europeans suffer from failure, began to provoke Timur in the East. By this time, the Turks had been carried away by the victory of the West. Bayeset I's provocation directly led to the attack of Timur, the king of Central Asia. Facing Timur's powerful army, Bayeset I fought bravely, but he still became a loser in the battle of Ankara. He died of depression after being captured, and the Ottoman Empire entered a "big vacancy" period. This defeat almost destroyed the Ottoman Empire, and it didn't end until AD 142 1 year.

/kloc-At the beginning of the 6th century, Salim I, with a heart of stone, made three expeditions to the East, two of which were aimed at the Iranian Safavid dynasty. In the war between Salim I and the Safavid dynasty, although the Ottoman army defeated Safavi's army on the battlefield, it could not completely destroy the Safavid dynasty. After being defeated by Salim I, Isma 'il I, the ruler of Safavid Dynasty, used vast territory to consume the Ottoman army, which made it impossible for the Ottoman Empire to expand its achievements. After occupying some land in the west of the Safavid dynasty, he began to return to Li.

After the collapse of the Egyptian Mamluk dynasty, Salim I intended to continue to conquer the Safavid dynasty, but due to the deterioration of his condition, the Safavid dynasty escaped. After Salim I's death, his successor, Suleiman I, continued to fight against the Safavid dynasty, but Suleiman I encountered the same problems as his father. Although Suleiman I occupied Baghdad and other places, he was never able to go deep into the hinterland of Safavid dynasty, and the bad weather in the Iranian plateau made the Turks miserable.

After the death of Suleiman I, the Ottoman Empire and Safavid Empire began a war of attrition. During this period, both countries paid a huge price. Until the end of16th century, Abbas I, the leader of the Sufi dynasty, ascended the throne successfully. Under the leadership of Abbas I, the Safavid dynasty began to fight back against the Ottoman Empire. After nearly a decade of brutal war, Abbas I successfully defeated the Turks and recovered many lands once occupied by the Ottoman Empire.