Chapter 27

*The Islamic Empires

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

The Ottoman EmpireOsman & Ottoman Expansion

Mehmed the Conqueror Suleyman the Magnificent

• Founder of dynasty• 1289-1923• bey=chief, semi-nomadicTurks• Osman & followers striveTo be ghazi=Muslim religiousWarriors• Waged holy wars• Capitals: Bursa & Edirne• Bursa became major Commercial and intellectualCenter• Ghazi two forces: lightCavalry & volunteer infantry• Devrshirme: conversionOf 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 navalPower• Was able to challengeChristian and Portuguesevessels

Safavid EmpireThe Safavids Twelver Shiism

Battle of Chaldiran & Shah Abbas the Great

• Shah Ismail (1252-1334)• Manipulated rise to Power story• Ancestry traced back to Sufi religious leader• Changed religious Preference several timesBefore settling, due to Nomadic Turkish tribes

• 12 infallible imamsAfter Muhammed Starting with prophet’s Cousin Ali• Qizilbash=red heads• Suggested IsmailWas a hidden imam or Incarnation of Allah• Most Muslims sawThis as blasphemous• Qizilbash felt Invincible in battle

• Battle between Shiite Safavids& Sunni Ottomans• Ottomans led with heavy Artillery & Janissaries• Safavids thought they wereProtected • Intermittent for 2 centuries• After Ismail, successor sAbandon radicalism & lean to More conventional Twelver Shiism• Shah Abbas the Great (1588-1629)• Encouraged trade, reformedAdministration & military

Mughal Empire Babur Akbar Aurangzeb

• Claimed descentFrom Chinggis Khan& Tamerlane• Attempted to expandAuthority into India throughFirearms and gunpowder Weapons• Cared little for land of IndiaTake spoils and leave• Began Mughal empire=Persian for Mongol . • Embrace almost all Indiansubcontinent

• 1556-1605• Killed Adham Khan• Didn’t tolerate thoseThat challenged him• Centralized administrationw/ministries to watch overProvinces• Allowed for religious toleration(Hindu & Muslim)• Called for syncetic religious blendThat would focus emperor as a Common ruler to all

• 1659-1707• Reached greatestExtent• Presided over Troubled empire• No religious Toleration• Destroyed HinduTemples & taxed Hindus• Local leadersBegin rebellions &resistance

Imperial Islamic Society

The Dynastic State

The Emperors &Islam Steppe Traditions Women and Politics

• Empires were militaryCreations based off ofPossession• Prestige & authorityDerived from piety &Military• Devotion of Islam leadsTo expansion of new lands• Ghazi’s fight infidels

• Early emperors oftenDid as pleased with disregardFor religious and social norms• Steppe practices lead to Problems of succession• Problems:Conflicts, rebellions, challenges • In Ottoman empire legal toKill brother• Sons received administrivePower in provinces in the Ottoman empire

• In Islam women haveNo role in public affairs• Influence was oftenPrivate• In Ottoman empire,Emperor’s mother & Chief wife receive Privileges

Agriculture and Trade

Food Crops Tobacco Population Growth &Trade

• Agricultural economies• Financed armies andBureaucracies• Colombian exchange Brought American cropsBut little effects• Encouraged consumptionOf tobacco and coffee

• Introduced by EnglishMerchants, medicinal• Entrepreneurs est. Coffeehouses for coffee andTobacco• Some in society wereAgainst tobacco and coffee• Attempted to get rid ofIt, proved unsuccessful

• Population in empires Increased due to intensiveAgriculture• 1600 Ottoman empireDeclines due to loss of land• Long-distance trade successfulIn the Islamic empires• Ottoman empire had commercialCapital Bursa • Safavids had commercial Center Isfahan• Mughals allowed trading stationsIn their land

Religious Affairs in the Islamic Empires

Religious Diversity Akbar’s Divine FaithChristian Mission in India

• Religious and ethnicallyDiverse, had to be kept underControl• Ottomans: Christian & Jews• Safavids: Zoroastrian, JewsChristians • Mughals: Muslims & Hindus

• Portuguese Goa centerOf Christian mission in India• Attempt to attract converts(schools)• Attempt to convert Akbar• Emperor declined to commitTo exclusive faith

• Wanted religiousSynthesis to unify Empire• “Divine Faith”= loyaltyTo emperor w/differentReligious traditions• Mostly drew on Islam,Monotheistic• “Lord of Wisdom”

Religious Affairs in the Islamic Empires

Status of Religious Minorities Promotion of Islam

• Est method to deal w/non-Muslims in the empire• “dhimmi”=protected people, Paid “jizya”=tax• Retained personal freedoms• “millet”=autonomous religiousCommunities retaining their civillaws

• Policies of religious toleranceNot popular with Muslims• Worried it would lead to HinduAbsorption in caste system• Mughals created Islamic state withIslamic law• Aurengzeb reinstates jizya createsCultural tensions

Cultural Patronage of the Islamic Emperors

Istanbul IsfahanFatehpur Sikri & the Taj Mahal

• Capital cities and royalPalaces were visible Expressions of imperial Majesty• Ottoman pride in Istanbul• Prosperous city• Topkapi palace=gov’tOffices, mint, meeting Places, sultan’s residence

• One of the most preciousJewels of urban architecture• Palaces emphasized Natural settings with gardensAnd pools, inner courts and gates• Mughal’s regarded their capitalWherever their ruler was

• Private residence andRetreat for ruler• Mughal display of pietyAnd devotion• Incorporated Indian Elements• Tah Mahal was a Mughalmonument

The Empires in Transition

Deterioration of Imperial Leadership

Dynastic Decline Religious Tensions

• All 3 dynasties had incompetentRulers who cared more for themselvesThan their empire• Late 17th c. provoked mutinies in Armies, revolts, political corruption,Economic oppression and insecurtiy

• Political troubles arose from religiousTensions.• Ottoman: disaffected religious studentsOften joined the Janissaries in revolt

Economic and Military Decline

Economic Difficulties Military Decline

• The cost of military and Administration led to declineIn Islamic empires• Became difficult to supportEmpire that was limited inResources • Empires lost control overProvinces, raised taxed afterLosing revenues, bribery, sellingoffices

• Military decline because they did Not seek to improve their technologies• European technology was advancingSo quickly that it became difficultFor empires to keep up.

Cultural Conservatism

Piri Reis Cultural Confidence The Printing Press

• Ottoman reconoittered The Indian Ocean Basin fromEast Africa to Indonesia• Produced large scale mapsAnd navigational texts

• Believed in their superiorityAnd felt they had nothing toLearn from Europeans• Remained oblivious to EuropeanCulture and developments

• Resistance from Conservatives to the newInventions of the Europeans• Printing press wasNot as popular in IslamicEmpires as in Europe• Aesthetics were morePreferred• Feared what the printingPress could do to theIslamic society