The Spread of Islam and Islamic Empires

First, a few important points:

• Fundamentalism–What does it mean?–Where do we see it?

• Jihad–Various interpretations–“Struggle”

A Little Bit More About Muhammad:

Muhammad was both a religious and political leader.

What are the implications of this at the time of his death?

Big Idea:

There are two major ways that Islam spread:

1. Conquest2. Trade

Sometimes a minority got to rule a majority.

What is conquest?

The Ottoman Empire (Turkish) was known for using this strategy.

Gunpowder Empire

• Empires that were formed by outside conquerors who unified the regions that they conquered.

• Success was largely based on the use of technology (firearms)

• Ottomans, Safavids,& Mughals• All Turkic tribes

Notice how control of Turkey changed…

The Ottomans

• “The most impressive and enduring”• Wanted to unite the Islamic world• Protector of the faith• “Strong sword of Islam”• Gained control of Constantinople by

turning the tide against the Christian initiative

The Janissaries

• Elite military forces made up of recruited Christian children

• Converted into Islam and drafted into armed service

Suleiman the Magnificent

• High point for Ottoman Empire• Known as Kanuni, the lawgiver• Expanded territory• Built up infrastructure• Patron of the arts• Bad decisions decline?• Killed a few sons

The Safevid Empire

The Safavids

• Persian–Location???

• Shia version imposed on the people• Great hostility between them and

the Ottomans–Why???

The Mughal Empire

The Mughals

• Located in India• Persian word for Mongols• Ushered in an era of unity • Accommodating of the Hindu majority that

they ruled over…for a while at least

Two Mughal Leaders:Two Different Approaches to Leadership

Akbar• Leader who was able to

unite most of the Indian sub-continent with inclusive policies

• Tolerance towards Hindu majority

• Blended culture

Aurangzeb• Reversed Akbar’s

policies of tolerance for Hindu traditions

• Removed non-Muslims from office

• Made Hindu traditions illegal

• Imposed Shariah

Which leadership style do you think was more successful? Why?

The spread of Islam through trade:

Why/how does trade spread religion?

Insert Crash Course episode here