The Islamic Empires

1. The Islamic Empires Chapter 27

2. Formation of the Islamic Empires (Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal)

3. The Ottoman Empire Osman & Ottoman Expansion Mehmed the Conqueror Suleyman the Magnificent • Founder of dynasty • 1289-1923 • bey=chief, semi-nomadic • Turks • Osman & followers strive • To be ghazi=Muslim religious • Warriors • Waged holy wars • Capitals: Bursa & Edirne • Bursa became major • Commercial and intellectual • Center • Ghazi two forces: light • Cavalry & volunteer infantry • Devrshirme: conversion • Of Christian boy to • Administration or Janissaries= • Military soldiers • Gunpowder weapons • 1451-1481 • Captured Constantinople= • New Ottoman capital and • New name Istanbul • Istanbul became • Commercial center • Not just warrior but emperor • “two lands” “two seas” • Tightly centralized • Absolute monarchy • Military face no rivals • 1512-1520 • Continued to expand • Empire SW Asia & Europe • Became major naval • Power • Was able to challenge • Christian and Portuguese • vessels

4. Safavid Empire Battle of Chaldiran & Shah Abbas the Great The Safavids TwelverShiism • 12 infallible imams • After Muhammed • Starting with prophet’s • Cousin Ali • Qizilbash=red heads • Suggested Ismail • Was a hidden imam or • Incarnation of Allah • Most Muslims saw • This as blasphemous • Qizilbash felt • Invincible in battle • Battle between Shiite Safavids • & Sunni Ottomans • Ottomans led with heavy • Artillery & Janissaries • Safavids thought they were • Protected • Intermittent for 2 centuries • After Ismail, successor s • Abandon radicalism & lean to • More conventional TwelverShiism • Shah Abbas the Great (1588- • 1629) • Encouraged trade, reformed • Administration & military • Shah Ismail (1252-1334) • Manipulated rise to • Power story • Ancestry traced back to • Sufi religious leader • Changed religious • Preference several times • Before settling, due to • Nomadic Turkish tribes

5. Mughal Empire Akbar Aurangzeb Babur • Claimed descent • From Chinggis Khan • & Tamerlane • Attempted to expand • Authority into India through • Firearms and gunpowder • Weapons • Cared little for land of India • Take spoils and leave • Began Mughal empire= • Persian for Mongol . • Embrace almost all Indian • subcontinent • 1556-1605 • Killed Adham Khan • Didn’t tolerate those • That challenged him • Centralized administration • w/ministries to watch over • Provinces • Allowed for religious toleration • (Hindu & Muslim) • Called for syncetic religious blend • That would focus emperor as a • Common ruler to all • 1659-1707 • Reached greatest • Extent • Presided over • Troubled empire • No religious • Toleration • Destroyed Hindu • Temples & taxed • Hindus • Local leaders • Begin rebellions & • resistance

6. Imperial Islamic Society

7. The Dynastic State The Emperors & Islam Steppe Traditions Women and Politics • Early emperors often • Did as pleased with disregard • For religious and social norms • Steppe practices lead to • Problems of succession • Problems:Conflicts, • rebellions, challenges • In Ottoman empire legal to • Kill brother • Sons received administrive • Power in provinces in the • Ottoman empire • In Islam women have • No role in public affairs • Influence was often • Private • In Ottoman empire, • Emperor’s mother & • Chief wife receive • Privileges • Empires were military • Creations based off of • Possession • Prestige & authority • Derived from piety & • Military • Devotion of Islam leads • To expansion of new lands • Ghazi’s fight infidels

8. Agriculture and Trade Population Growth & Trade Food Crops Tobacco • Population in empires • Increased due to intensive • Agriculture • 1600 Ottoman empire • Declines due to loss of land • Long-distance trade successful • In the Islamic empires • Ottoman empire had commercial • Capital Bursa • Safavids had commercial • Center Isfahan • Mughals allowed trading stations • In their land • Introduced by English • Merchants, medicinal • Entrepreneurs est. • Coffeehouses for coffee and • Tobacco • Some in society were • Against tobacco and coffee • Attempted to get rid of • It, proved unsuccessful • Agricultural economies • Financed armies and • Bureaucracies • Colombian exchange • Brought American crops • But little effects • Encouraged consumption • Of tobacco and coffee

9. Religious Affairs in the Islamic Empires Christian Mission in India Akbar’s Divine Faith Religious Diversity • Wanted religious • Synthesis to unify • Empire • “Divine Faith”= loyalty • To emperor w/different • Religious traditions • Mostly drew on Islam, • Monotheistic • “Lord of Wisdom” • Religious and ethnically • Diverse, had to be kept under • Control • Ottomans: Christian & Jews • Safavids: Zoroastrian, Jews • Christians • Mughals: Muslims & Hindus • Portuguese Goa center • Of Christian mission in • India • Attempt to attract converts • (schools) • Attempt to convert Akbar • Emperor declined to commit • To exclusive faith

10. Religious Affairs in the Islamic Empires Status of Religious Minorities Promotion of Islam • Policies of religious tolerance • Not popular with Muslims • Worried it would lead to Hindu • Absorption in caste system • Mughals created Islamic state with • Islamic law • Aurengzeb reinstates jizya creates • Cultural tensions • Est method to deal w/non- • Muslims in the empire • “dhimmi”=protected people, • Paid “jizya”=tax • Retained personal freedoms • “millet”=autonomous religious • Communities retaining their civil • laws

11. Cultural Patronage of the Islamic Emperors FatehpurSikri & the TajMahal Istanbul Isfahan • Capital cities and royal • Palaces were visible • Expressions of imperial • Majesty • Ottoman pride in • Istanbul • Prosperous city • Topkapi palace=gov’t • Offices, mint, meeting • Places, sultan’s residence • One of the most precious • Jewels of urban architecture • Palaces emphasized • Natural settings with gardens • And pools, inner courts and gates • Mughal’s regarded their capital • Wherever their ruler was • Private residence and • Retreat for ruler • Mughal display of piety • And devotion • Incorporated Indian • Elements • TahMahal was a Mughal • monument

12. The Empires in Transition

13. Deterioration of Imperial Leadership Religious Tensions Dynastic Decline • All 3 dynasties had incompetent • Rulers who cared more for themselves • Than their empire • Late 17th c. provoked mutinies in • Armies, revolts, political corruption, • Economic oppression and insecurtiy • Political troubles arose from religious • Tensions. • Ottoman: disaffected religious students • Often joined the Janissaries in revolt

14. Economic and Military Decline Economic Difficulties Military Decline • The cost of military and • Administration led to decline • In Islamic empires • Became difficult to support • Empire that was limited in • Resources • Empires lost control over • Provinces, raised taxed after • Losing revenues, bribery, selling • offices • Military decline because they did • Not seek to improve their technologies • European technology was advancing • So quickly that it became difficult • For empires to keep up.

15. Cultural Conservatism Piri Reis Cultural Confidence The Printing Press • Resistance from • Conservatives to the new • Inventions of the Europeans • Printing press was • Not as popular in Islamic • Empires as in Europe • Aesthetics were more • Preferred • Feared what the printing • Press could do to the • Islamic society • Believed in their superiority • And felt they had nothing to • Learn from Europeans • Remained oblivious to European • Culture and developments • Ottoman reconoittered • The Indian Ocean Basin from • East Africa to Indonesia • Produced large scale maps • And navigational texts