The Muslim “Gunpowder” EmpiresChapter 19

Geography The Ottoman Empire began in the

Middle East The Ottoman Empire expanded from

where the Muslim Empire began (the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia)

It continued to spread to cover parts of North Africa, the Balkans, and Europe. Included areas such as Turkey, Persia,

India, and China

Three “Gunpowder” Empires There were three gunpowder empires-

Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Similarities:

All of them were Muslim Formed by conquerors Mastered modern warfare (firearms) Rose at the same time

Absolutism The Ottoman Empire began with the

decline of feudalism, the spirit of the Renaissance, the European encounter with the Americas, the Reformation, and the Commercial Revolution

Ottomans, like the monarchs that were ruling Europe, used gunpowder and large armies to take over their land.

The Ottoman Empire (1300-1700) Ottoman Empire is named after Osman-

a Turkish sultan whose military won in 1301.

Osman’s army took over the land of modern day Turkey

Ottoman Empire expanded in the 1400s and 1500s to include Southeast Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa; all with Muslim influences.

Here Come the Ottomans! By the 1400s, the Byzantine Empire was

in decline Faced a growing threat from the

Ottomans Ottomans: nomadic, Turkish speaking

group These people migrated from Central

Asia and Asia Minor

Here Come the Ottomans! Ottomans began moving and

threatening the Byzantine Empire Ottomans defeated the Serbs at the

Battle of Kosovo (1389) 1390: Ottomans annexed Bulgaria Ottomans controlled the Bosporus and

Dardanelles Straits

Siege of Constantinople 1453: Ottomans took over the Byzantine

capital of Constantinople The siege was led by Mehmed II: “the

Conqueror” April 6, 1453- bombarded

Constantinople with massive cannons Once the Byzantine Empire died, the

Ottomans took over

Rise of Istanbul Mehmet changed the name to Istanbul Made the once Christian city a major

city of the Ottoman Muslim Empire Rebuilt the Ottoman Empire Built universities, mosques, and schools

Rise of Istanbul Madrases- religious schools; major

attraction for immigrant scholars Hagia Sophia- Justinian’s church that

was turned into a mosque Istanbul- one of the world’s largest cities

at the time with 700,000 people

Expansion of the Ottoman Empire

Sultan Selim I- Conquered Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Arabia Holy cities: Jerusalem, Mecca, and Medina

Also expanded into southern Europe- Balkans and Russia

Suleyman I- took over Hungary At the peak of the Ottoman Empire, it

covered three continents- Europe, Middle East, and North Africa

Reasons for Ottoman Success New military technology Cannons- used to take down

Constantinople’s walls Well equipped foot soldiers Increased battlefield effectiveness

Three Groups that Sustained the Invasions Gazis:

Warrior “war leader” of Islam Warriors inspired by Islam to conquer territories

and bring them to Dar al-Islam Government hospital to Islam

Sufis: Member of a religious order Often come with troops to spread Islam

Janissaries: Elite Ottoman foot soldiers Slaves to Captured Christians forced to convert

Life Under Ottoman Rule Imperial Sultans

Sultans “hold power” Military and political head of state under

the Seljuk Turks Became isolated from his people Hereditary- not always the first son though Private domain- harem- “sacred place” Topkapi Palace- “iron gate”- center of

sultan’s power

Ulema Group of religious scholars Sunni Muslims Sultans claimed the “caliph” since

1500s Theory: sultan is responsible for guiding

and maintaining Islamic law Religious practices: sultan was given

responsibility from a group a religious advisers

Grand Vizier Ottoman sultan’s chief minister who

carried out the main burdens of the state and led council meetings

Did the typical day to day governing Council was needed to control the large

bureaucracy Met 4 days a week

Pashas Bureaucrats The Ottoman Empire was governed by

provinces and districts Pasha- an appointed official of the

empire who collected taxes, maintained law and order, and was directly responsible to the sultan’s court

A Diverse Society Social classes:

Men of the pen- highly educated people: scientists, lawyers, judges

Men of the sword- military Men of Negotiation- businesspeople:

bankers, tax collectors, artisans

**Top two classes were made up entirely of Muslims

Millets Non-Muslims communities Each Miller was allowed to maintain its own

religious traditions and educate its people Had to obey Ottoman law Paid tax Devshirme system- Christians who

converted to Islam were offered positions in the military and bureaucracy

Ottoman Achievements Ottoman Empire absorbed the

influenced of the Byzantine Empire Had Greco-Roman and Middle East

influences Justinian: introduced silk cultivation Ottomans: silk for courts, wool rugs

Sultan Suleyman’s Golden Age Called the “Magnificent” by the

Europeans Suleyman was a military leader Had absolute power

Strengthened the government Based his government on Sharia

Decline of the Ottoman Empire Internal Disorder

Nationalism and internal rebellions Government corruption and poor

leadership Constant wars Government positions were given based

on relation not based on merit Increased taxes Wars were costly

Ottoman Decline European Advances

Europeans had better military technology Battle of Lepanto- Spanish and Italian

forces defeated the Ottomans (1571) European economy was stronger than the

Ottoman Empire’s Ottoman’s did not industrialize Fell behind economically

The Safavid Empire

Rise of the Safavid Dynasty Esma ‘il the Founder

Began in the 1500s: new dynasty that took control after years of chaos

1501: Took over control of present day Iran and Iraq

Ema ‘il called himself the shah (king)of the Persian state

He was a descendant of Safial-Din Safi al-Din was a militant religious teacher

Shah Esma ‘il Devote Shiite Muslim Aggressive, militant, and intolerant Shia Muslims believe in the successors of

Muhammad Made conversion to the Shia faith

mandatory Declared it the state religion Ordered the massacre of Sunni Muslims

in 1508

Tension between the Ottomans and Safavids Ottoman Empire was tolerant; Safavids

were not Ottoman rulers tried to stop Safavid

leaders from forcing civilians to convert This led to tension between Ottomans

and the Safavids

Glory and Decline Shah Abbas

Shah moved against the Ottomans Sought to gain territory Used cavalry (soldiers on horseback) and

infantry armed with gunpowder and weapon

Imported European weapons, equipment, technicians, and advisors

New capital- Esfahan

Decline After Shah Abbas’ death, empire

declined Difficult to bring together diverse

peoples and interests Power of the Shiite religion rose Persian women were forced to be

secluded and wear a veil Safavid ruling family were forced to

retreat

Society of Safavids Mixed Society

Safavids came into power to support the nomadic Turkish

Majority of the people were Persian Most were farmers or townspeople

The Position of Shah Shah was the head of the bureaucracy Appointment to senior positions were

dependent on merit not birth Shah Abbas: hired foreigners from

neighboring countries Absolute ruler

Economy and Trade Shahs played active role in trade and

manufacturing Large middle class involved in trade Used Baazars Most goods traveled by camel caravans

or by horses This empire is not as prosperous as the

Ottoman Empire

Isfahan Shah’s capital Well planned and ordered city One of the largest cities Markets, mosques, shops, factories Trade was stimulated by a Western

demand for Persian carpets

The Mogul Empire (1526-1857)

Babur Founder: Babur Location: Present day India Inherited Tamerlane’s land Moguls are a mixture of Mongol and

Turkish people Had four emperors: Akbar, Jehangir,

shah Jahan, Aurangzeb

Sikhism New religion Blending elements of Islamic Sufism and

Hinduism Sikhs believe in one god Sikhs stress the belief in one god,

stressing that mankind’s goal is unity with the deity

Akbar the Great Religiously tolerant

Babar’s grandson Only 14 years old when he came to the

throne Brought most of present day India under

his throne Wanted to end hostility and bring peace

to the land

Examples of Religious Tolerance of Akbar the Great Invited representatives of all religious to

his court His wife was a Hindu princess Abolished tax on Hindu pilgrims

Government Upper ranks of Akbar;s government

were filled with non-native Muslims Lower officials were Hindu Zamindars- a local official who received

a plot of farmland for temporary use in return for collecting taxes for the central government

All Indian peasants were required to pay 1/3 of their annual harvest to the state

Trade Indian goods: textiles, tropical food

products, spices, and precious stones Merchants flourished

Decline of Mogul’s Decline occurred under Shah Jahan He wanted to expand the land Had no income and internal chaos Most people lived in poverty Built the Taj Mahal