The Muslim Empires of Asia & East Asia 1500-1750

1. The Muslim Empires of Asia & East Asia 1500-1750 John Ermer World History Honors Miami Beach Senior High School

2. Rise of the Ottoman Empire • Strongest post-Mongol Muslim empire • Osman’s dynasty’s adept rule • Control of trade routes • Hybrid military blending traditional skill with new tech • Defeat Mamluks in Syria and Egypt (Selim I) • 1453: Conquer Constantinople/Istanbul (Mehmet II) • Defeat Serbians at Battle of Kosovo • Stopped Safavid expansion • Suleiman the Magnificent & the Balkans

4. Ottoman Institutions • Turkish horsemen, European slaves= military • Christian military slaves were called janissaries • Devshirme, practice of using European children taken from home, taught Turkish and Islam, as janissaries • Social Structure: askeri “military class”/raya “flock” • Highly centralized, powerful empire • Urban centers are heavily Muslim, sha’riah law • Non-Muslims, rural people look to own religious leaders for guidance

5. Crisis of the military state, 1585-1650 • Military technology and firearms improve • Janissary corps grows, cavalry shrinks • Cavalrymen restive in rural Anatolia • Inflation caused by cheap silver from New World • Religious law prohibits tax reform • Wars and revolts/rebellions • Janissaries gain in influence/power • Lifting of lifestyle prohibitions like marriage • Janissaries decrease in number over time

7. The new Ottoman model 1650-1750 • Slow period of declining international power • Sultan no longer military leader, secluded in palace • Sultan’s mother & chief eunuch run palace/royalty • Grand Vizier runs government • Janissaries become hereditary • Less military, more interested in business and politics • Central control of gov’t declines, provinces grow rich • Adoption of European ways causes religiously charged rebellions • MuhamadibnAbd al-Wahhab (Sunni), PatronaHalil • Some multiethnic port cities prosper

8. The Safavids • Ottoman Similarities: • Land grants for cavalry • Land rather than sea power • Similar social structure/interactions • Ismail=Safavid Shah • Shi’ite Islam • Set Iran apart from neighbors • Builds strong ties to Muslims in India • Hidden Imam: all shahs are stand ins for 12th descendent of Ali • Economy based on silk and Persian rugs • No navy to speak of, Gulf trade diminished • Similar economic decline to that of Ottomans

9. The Moghal Empire 1526-1761 • Muslims ruling over India’s Hindu majority • Descends from the Mongols, Timur, Babur conquers • Akbar’s dynasty rules most of India • Social classes ranked as mansabs • Cotton trade booms, exchanged for (inflated) silver • Rajputs: Hindu soldiers from the north (15% of army) • Akbar fosters good Muslim-Hindu relations • Marries Rajput princess, fathers half breed heir • Lifts non-Muslim head-tax • Sikhism stages strong opposition to Moghals • Central government decays and collapses, enter British

11. Japanese Reunification • Japanese emperor in Kyoto has little power • Daimyo: Feudal lords with power, armies, land • Samurai: feudal knight-vassals of lords • Shogun: hereditary commander of armies with loose command of daimyo and armies • Warlord Hideyoshi unites Japan, invades Korea • Korean invasion fails, but weakens Chinese force in Manchuria • 1603: Tokugawa Shogunate, defused military state • Move capital to Edo (Tokyo) • Samurai adapt to bureaucratic role (educate, conspicuous consumption, etiquette) • Merchants become important players in modernization • Forge close ties to daimyo and shogun

13. Japan & Europeans • Government closely regulates trade with Europe • Fr. Francis Xavier (Catholic missionary) • Poor impressed with faith, elite inclined to oppose upsetting order • Shogun outlaws Christianity, Europeans • Only the Dutch can trade, restricted to small island off Nag. • Economic growth outpaces population growth • Decentralized government limited regulatory oversight • Merchant class grows despite lack of gov’t support • Kabuki theater, printed clothing/wookblock, restaurants • “Forty-Seven Ronin” values vs. order • Ronin outlawed, made to commit seppuku • Tokugawa gov’t=traditional, society=moderizing

15. China: The Ming Empire • Early Ming success: int’l demand for Chinese goods, expanded trade, bureaucratic efficiency, rural wealth • Sharp decline in mid to late Ming Dynasty • Climate change causes rural uprisings • Inflation caused by too much silver • Weak government caused economic problems • Fighting Mongols, Manchu, & Japan weakens state • Manchus defeat Ming Dynasty—est. Qing Empire • Europeans traded with China via island bases • Portuguese/Macao, Spain/Manila, Dutch/Taiwan • Catholic missionaries have greater success than in Japan, poor and elites convert, Jesuits in gov’t office

17. Qing China • Qing Emperors Kangxi & Qianlong restore greatness • Built economic infrastructure • Reestablish overland trade/communication • Conquer new lands from Mongols & Russians • Southeast Asian tribute states contribute to economy • Qing emperors sour on Christian missionaries, expel • Qing influences on Europe • use “variolation” as smallpox vaccine • Wallpaper • Market for Chinese products • Admiration for Qing imperial “wisdom” and culture • Europeans traders allowed only at Canton/“Can. System” • British E. India Co. traded silver for tea • Macartney Mission fails, China remains closed to Europe