The decline of the Ottoman Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries can be traced to all of these reasons EXCEPT:
(A) sultans who were weak or inept rulers.
(B) frequent defeat of the Ottoman Empire and annexations of its land.
(C) religious divisions within Islam.
(D) decline in the productivity of peasants and artisans.
(E) Christian and non-Turkish populations, who resented Turkish rule.
Answer: C