Islamic Empires 1400-1800 A.D.

I. Ottoman Empire of Turkey

A. Conquests of the Byzantines began with Osmanli Dynasty

1. 1453- siege and dominance of Constantinople and Balkan Europe under Sultan Mehmet II and the city was renamed Istanbul

2. 1514-1517- expansion in Mesopotamia, Arabia, Egypt under Sultan Selim I and Turks gained control over the holiest Islamic and Christian cities

a. Jerusalem, Mecca, Medinah, Damascus, Alexandria, Cairo, Baghdad, Constantinople

3. “Gunpowder Empire”- Ottomans continued to invade the Balkan territories of Romania, Hungary, and Austria through the 1550s under Sultan Suleyman I until being defeated by European coalitions in Lepanto, Greece and Vienna, Austria

B. Ottoman Government and Society

1. Semi-nomadic origins changed to a settlement as the expansions were successful decade after decade

2. Clans were united by their loyalty to a supreme leader known as a sultan, which was a hereditary title

3. Sultans ruled with the help of a Grand Vizier and Imperial Council, the Ulema (Islamic religious council), and local chieftains known as Pashas4. The Royal Harem- sultan’s wives and mistresses lived in luxury and often held power behind the scenes

5. Royal Janissery- Elite troops of young men from across the empire that swore allegiance to the Sultan

6. Millets (Provinces)- Muslim and Non-Muslim subjects had different rights and levels of self-governance under Ottoman rule MULTI-CULTURAL EMPIRE

a. Different taxes, different schools, different employment opportunities

b. DEVSHIRME- enlisting boys as young servants to the empire

Ex. Greeks, Armenians, Serbs, Arabs, and Egyptians all had special roles in the Ottoman economy and some were privileged enough to achieve governing ranks or advisement positions within the empire

C. Ottoman Decline 1700-1900

1. Weak sultans, rising independence movements of non-Muslim and Muslim subjects, Westernization, ineffective governance, World War I

2. Ottoman sultan claims to be the Caliphs of Islam often caused trouble with Islamic peoples believed in Arab or Persian claims over Turkish claims

II. Safavi Persian Empire

A. Shia Islam Under Shah Ismail

1. Azerbaijan, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan came under control of the Shahs of Persia 1500-1800s and Shahs claimed to descend from Prophet Muhammad

2. Major cities of conquests- Tabriz, Esfahan, Kabul, Tehran, Baghdad, Herat

3. Shah Abbas lost territories to the Sunni Ottomans in the 1580s in the northwestern regions of his empire and border wars continued

B. Safavi Culture and Society

1. Shari'ah- Islamic law code which set forth guidelines for behavior including prohibition of alcohol, gambling, thievery, dishonesty, and associated punishments for violators

2. Shiite Sects of Islam uphold Shari’ah more rigidly, known as religious orthodoxy

3. Arts and Architecture flourished throughout Persia during the Safavi Period (mosques, palaces, gardens)

4. Shahs of Persia found themselves at odds with the Turks and Arabs over claims to the Caliphate 1500-1700 and wars were common place over political and religious issues

5. Persia remained in the middle of India, China, Arabia, North Africa, Russia, and commercial activity by trade caravan was constant

a. Persian silk, carpets, artwork would be luxury items in many distant places in the 1600-1900s

C. Safavi Decline 1700s- Afghan invasions led to collapse of dynasty and emergence of later Qajar dynasty after decades of anarchy

III. Mughal (Mogul) Empire of India

A. Babur’s Conquests of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, India

1. 1504-1530 Babur managed to conquer Persians, Afghans, Pakistanis, and Indians and began his dynasty by capturing an Islamic capital city named Delhi in North India

2. Babur descended from Mongol overlords of Central Asia and his empire would be inherited by a very capable grandson named Akbar

B. Shah Akbar the Great 1556-1605

1. Established the largest Indian Empire since the Mauryans in 300s B.C. by expansion and fair diplomacy

2. Mughal rule was characterized by humane government and religious tolerance during Akbar’s reign

a. Muslim minority ruled over Indian Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and even welcomed Jesuit Christian missionaries to attend the royal court

3. Akbar’s administration was a mix of Muslim and Hindu and India thrived for more than a century as relations between religious groups were generally good

***Cultural traditions diffused into Indo-Muslim Civilization

4. Zamindars were local landlords and tax collectors that gained power and influence over the decades and Mughal emperors began to lose power by the 1700s

5. Taj Mahal= Islamic style tomb for Shah Jahan’s wife has become an important symbol of Indo-Muslim greatness

C. Mughal Decline 1650-1800

1. Leadership of Shah Jahangir, Jahan, and Aurengzeb led to expansionism, construction projects, forced labor, and anti-Hindu policies that began to damage the dynasty

2. 1650-1750 British Colonization became increasingly aggressive and seized on opportunities to take territories from the weakened Mughal emperors

a. British East India Company became to set up their own administration and taxation of Indian people