Comparative History in the Age of the Renaissance:

Central and South Asia

John Estrella

Alexis Feliciano

Kate Heaney

Class Periwinkle

Politics: Safavid Empire (1501 – 1722)

16th, 17th, and early 18th centuries Founder: Sufi leader named Isma’il Fought frequently with Ottoman empire (west),

Mughal Empire (east) and Uzbeks (north) Abbas I: greatest Safavid king

– Humble; interacted with common folk – Strengthened central government– Created standing army

Defeated Uzbeks and Ottomans, recovering Persian territory and capturing Baghdad

Politics: Mughal Empire (1526 – 1857)

Early 16th to mid - 19th centuries Effective rule

– Seven generations of rulers– Administrative organization

Attempted to integrate Muslims and Hindus into a united Indian state

Founded by Babur– descendant of Timur (Tamerlane) and Genghis Khan– Oust from central Asia, he turned to Delhi Sultanate to

satisfy his desire for conquest

Politics: Major Mughal Rulers

Babur – faced armies of a Rajput confederacy in 1527– far outnumbered yet clever stratagem and reckless courage

determined his victory

Akbar: the “Great Mughal”– Established strong military force and effective

administration– Seized all of northern and part of central India– Adopted peace-making policies toward Hindus– Strengthened and united Mughal Empire

Politics: Major Mughal Rulers

Shah Jahan– Passion for building– Left great monuments i.e. Taj Mahal and Great Mosque of

Delhi– His reign marked cultural peak of Mughal rule– Military expeditions brought empire to brink of bankruptcy

Aurangzeb– Political and religious intolerance led to its decline

Excluded Hindus and destroyed their schools and temples Persecutions roused rebellions against Muslim rule

Geography: Map of Safavid Empire

Red: Ottoman Empire

Green: Safavid Empire

Capital: Isfahan

Geography: Map of Mughal Empire

Pink: Under Akbar (1556 - 1605)

Purple: Expansion under Shah Jahan (1627 - 1658) and Aurangzeb (1658 - 1707)

Economics: Safavid Empire

Economy was never rich and prosperous At times successful at trade

– Shahs played a major role

Money came from carpet and leather goods– Isfahan

Constantly at war against the Ottomans – Could not afford cost of war

loss of money and the incompetence of the rulers lead to downfall of empire

Economics: Mughal Empire

Agriculture was of some importance

India was known for textile manufacturing

Markets for Indian textiles accepted trade from Europe

Religion

Background– Islam had spread throughout the region around

632 when Abu Bakr, the first caliph, conquered areas across the Byzantine and Persian empires

– Around 1000, Turkish Muslims invaded predominantly Hindu India

– They conquered Hindu armies and set up the Delhi sultanate (1210-1526), which consisted of various Muslim dynasties that ruled the area

Religion

India became part of the Islamic world

– Islam became the major religion

Buddhism began to decline in India, partially because many Buddhist monasteries were destroyed

Religion

Many Hindus were also killed, contributing to the decline of Hinduism

However, some Hindus whose land now belonged to Muslim officials were offered special protection from persecution if they paid a tax

Eventually some elements of Hindu culture were incorporated into Muslim culture

Religion

Islam continued to be main religion in India after Delhi sultanate had been conquered and Mughal dynasty had begun.

Religion and land and sea trade routes united the entire area

Religion spread through the trade routes to different parts of the area

The Safavid Empire in Iran was also Muslim, meaning that Islam became a major religion in Iran as well

Society: Safavid Empire

Began as group of Turkish tribes people of Shiite Sufi descent

Triangle-formed monarchy Shah – considered to have

divine powers Women had considerable

freedom and liberty compared to those of different empires

Shah(ruler)

Appointed Bureaucracy/

Landed Classes

Common People

Society: Mughal Empire

Akbar brought religious tolerance and art appreciation– Abolished discriminatory taxes on Hindus– Included non-Muslims in his group of advisors

As other rulers came to power, religious tolerance diminished Men relied on wives for political advice Aristocratic women:

– Learned to read and write– Worked and received salaries– Were allowed to own land– Fought in wars

Science/Technology

Very few advancements

– Mostly gun and ammunition advancments

Gunpowder popular in both Empires

Art and Architecture

Defined many of the dynasties that ruled in the area Provided monuments that would last for centuries Art also greatly linked to religion The Mongol invasion destroyed works of art from

before the 13th century However, Persian art emerged in part because of the

Mongol school in the 14th century

Art and Architecture

Incorporated Indian, Persian & Islamic art from the Delhi Sultanate to create new kinds of art

Probably the most famous monument of the Mughal dynasty was the Taj Mahal, built by the ruler Shan Jahan for his wife in 1632.

Art and Architecture

Great monuments left behind in India and Pakistan

During 15th century, Timurid painting incorporated aspects from Chinese art

During 16th century, mosaic-covered architecture reached its peak

Safavid dynasty specialties - murals in palaces, ink drawings, single-figure portraits, jewelry, book illustrations

In conclusion…

Comparing the European Renaissance to the occurrences of Central and South Asia, both faced various political situations that primarily was the cause of religious differences. Not only that, but in each region grew great cultural aspects such as art and architecture. Although both regions are quite different, they significantly influenced the nations there today.

Questions?

Works Cited

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