Ottomans in the Age of Discovery

Arrix85

Donor
My question comes from this situation... in 1517 the Ottomans conquered Egypt, so getting an access to the indian ocean. Is there a possible PoD which makes them capable to be rivals of the europeans in the Indian trade?

I'm not talking about full out colonization (but if you can), but is there a way to make them less focused on not so useful campaigns in Europe? I think over-stretching was a big cause of their decline and if we could have a more compact Ottoman empire with bigger power projection...
 
Insofar that their trade went unobstructed and that they could prop up Muslim rulers in Southeast Asia and play Dutchmen against Spaniards, I'd say yes.
 

Arrix85

Donor
I thought they got their asses kicked by the portuguese in the wars they fought against them.

Never even knew they managed to influece things so far. But my question is to actually make them more focused on Asian trade and less on Europe than OTL.

my reasoning is that if they manage to bring in more revenues they should be able to keep up with the western power and not become the "sick man of Europe".
 
Insofar that their trade went unobstructed and that they could prop up Muslim rulers in Southeast Asia and play Dutchmen against Spaniards, I'd say yes.


*Portuguese.

I was under the impression that they were largely unsuccessful in their attempts to keep them away from India and Indonesia, though.
 
*Portuguese.

I was under the impression that they were largely unsuccessful in their attempts to keep them away from India and Indonesia, though.

That is my understanding, as well. There were trade and defense treaties between the Sublime Porte and the Aceh Sultanate of Sumatra well into the 19th Century.
 
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