1. The “Gunpowder” Empires (Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals)
Unit 12:
The “Gunpowder” Empires
(Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals)

2. From 1300 to 1700, three “gunpowder empires” dominated parts of Europe, Africa, & Asia
The Safavid Empire
The Mughal Empire
The Ottoman Empire
Three of the great empires of history—the Ottomans in Turkey, the Safavids in Persia, and the Mughals in India—emerged in the Muslim world between the 14th and the 18th centuries.
As powerful societies moved to expand their empires, Turkish, Persian, Mongol, and Arab ways of life blended. The result was a flowering of Islamic culture that peaked in the 16th century.
The rulers of all three great Muslim empires of this era based their authority on Islam. They based their power on strong armies, advanced technology, and loyal administrative officers.

3. These empires were unique but shared some similarities:
All 3 empires were able to conquer neighboring people because they formed strong armies using rifles & artillery
Three of the great empires of history—the Ottomans in Turkey, the Safavids in Persia, and the Mughals in India—emerged in the Muslim world between the 14th and the 18th centuries.
As powerful societies moved to expand their empires, Turkish, Persian, Mongol, and Arab ways of life blended. The result was a flowering of Islamic culture that peaked in the 16th century.
The rulers of all three great Muslim empires of this era based their authority on Islam. They based their power on strong armies, advanced technology, and loyal administrative officers.
All 3 empires were Islamic & ruled by Muslim leaders with well-organized gov’ts made up of loyal bureaucrats
All 3 empires blended their culture with neighboring societies to create a high point of Islamic culture

4. The Ottoman Empire
Around 1300, the Muslim Turks of Anatolia were unified & formed the Ottoman Empire
The Ottomans used muskets & cannons to form a powerful army & expand their territory

5. The Ottoman Military
The Ottoman army included 30,000 elite soldiers called janissaries who were slaves that were trained to be loyal to the government
zanbūrak

6. The Ottoman Empire
In 1453, the Ottomans under Muhammad II attacked Constantinople & conquered the Byzantine Empire. Renaming Constantinople - Istanbul

7. The Ottoman Empire
By the late 1600s, the Ottomans expanded into the Middle East, Northern Africa, & Eastern Europe

8. Ottoman rulers were called sultans & they governed with absolute power
The Ottoman Empire
Ottoman rulers were called sultans & they governed with absolute power
The greatest Ottoman sultan was Suleiman the Magnificent who came to power in 1520
Under Suleiman, modernized Ottoman armies attacked Eastern Europe & the empire reached its height
By the mid-1500s, Suleiman was the most powerful absolute ruler in the world

9. Suleiman’s greatest accomplishment was creating a stable gov’t for his empire
He was known as “Suleiman the Lawgiver” because he created a law code (based on the Sharia) that governed criminal & civil issues
He created a simplified & fair tax system to raise money for his empire
He granted freedom of worship to millets (Non-Muslims) - Christians & Jews living in the empire

10. Ottoman Social Organization
“Men of the Pen” – scientists, lawyers, judges, and poets.
“Men of the Sword” – soldiers
“Men of Negotiation” – merchants, tax collectors, and artisans
“Men of Husbandry” – farmers and herders.

11. Ottoman miniature painting
Art, architecture, & poetry flourished under Suleiman as the Ottoman Empire experienced a cultural renaissance
Sinan’s Mosque of Suleyman in Istanbul is the largest mosque in the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman miniature painting
Mosque of Suleiman by architect, Sinan

12. The Decline of the Ottoman Empire
Despite Suleyman’s magnificent social and cultural achievements, the Ottoman Empire was losing ground. Suleyman killed his ablest son and drove another into exile. His third son, the incompetent Selim II, inherited the throne.
Suleyman set the pattern for later sultans to gain and hold power. It became customary for each new sultan to have his brothers strangled. The sultan would then keep his sons prisoner in the harem, cutting them off from education or contact with the world. This practice produced a long line of weak sultans who eventually brought ruin on the empire. However, the Ottoman Empire continued to influence the world into the early 20th century.
To maintain their power against rivals, Suleiman & other Ottoman sultans executed their brothers & jailed their sons which led to progressively weaker leaders
By the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the Ottoman Empire was so weak it was known as the “sick man of Europe”

13. Safavid rulers were called shahs, using the Persian title for king
Unlike the Ottomans who were Sunni Muslims, the Safavids believed in Shi’a Islam & strictly converted the people they conquered
The Safavid Empire
41a - describe the geographical extent of the Ottoman Empire during the rule of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Safavid Empire during the reign of Shah Abbas I, and the Mughal Empire during the reigns of Babur and Akbar
41b - explain the ways in which these Muslim empires influenced religion, law and the arts in their parts of the world
The Safavids were Turks living in Persia who built a powerful gunpowder army & created an empire in modern-day Iran
Safavid rulers were called shahs, using the Persian title for king

14. Abbas borrowed ideas from outside groups to improve the Safavid Empire
The greatest ruler of the Safavid Empire was Shah Abbas the Great who came to power in 1587
Abbas borrowed ideas from outside groups to improve the Safavid Empire
He modeled Ottoman janissaries, used merit to employ gov’t workers, & introduced religious toleration which helped Safavids trade with European Christians
Art flourished, especially carpets that blended Persian & European designs

15. The Decline of the Safavid Empire
Like the Ottomans, Shah Abbas blinded or killed his most capable sons in order to keep power
As a result, weak leaders led to a rapid decline of the Safavid Empire
In finding a successor, Shah Abbas made the same mistake the Ottoman monarch Suleyman made. He killed or blinded his ablest sons. His incompetent grandson, Safi, succeeded Abbas. This pampered young prince led the Safavids down the same road to decline that the Ottomans had taken, only more quickly.
In 1736, however, Nadir Shah Afshar conquered land all the way to India and created an expanded empire. But Nadir Shah was so cruel that one of his own troops assassinated him. With Nadir Shah’s death in 1747, the Safavid Empire fell apart.
While the Ottoman Empire lasted until 1922, the Safavid Empire fell in 1747

16. The Mughals were Muslims who descended from Turks, Afghans, & Mongols living in central Asia.
Like the Ottomans & Safavids, the Mughals built a powerful army with guns & cannons

17. In 1494, Babur became king of the Mughals, expanded the army, & began invasions into India to create his empire
In 1556, Babur’s grandson Akbar became king of the Mughal Empire & expanded the empire into almost all of India

18. Akbar was the greatest of all the Mughal rulers
Akbar’s greatest achievement was cultural blending & religious toleration
He held religious discussions with Hindu & Muslim scholars
He ended the tax that non-Muslims were required to pay & created a fair & affordable tax system
Because he was Muslim ruling in a largely Hindu region, Akbar allowed non-Muslims to worship freely
He married many wives, among them were Muslim, Hindu, & Christian women

19. The best example of Akbar’s tolerance was his creation of a new religion called the Divine Faith
The Divine Faith was an example of syncretism because it blended ideas from Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, & Zoroastrianism
Akbar hoped the Divine Faith would end conflicts between Muslims & Hindus
IMAGE: Mughal Emperor Akbar (r ) holds a religious assembly in the Ibadat Khana (House of Worship) in Fatehpur Sikri; the two men dressed in black are the Jesuit missionaries Rodolfo Acquaviva and Francisco Henriques
illustration to the Akbarnama, miniature painting by Nar Singh, ca. 1605
Din–i–Ilahi or "divine faith," describes the religious teachings developed by the third emperor of the Mughal Empire, Akbar the Great, in the late–16th century. Akbar's teachings had their foundations in regular discussions at the Ibadat Khana, "The House of Worship," in Fatehpur Sikri, where he hosted religious leaders and theologians of various faiths, including Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Jains. Seeking a common ground among religions, his teachings synthesize ideas from multiple faiths, do not have a sacred scripture and include a form of sun–worship that reflects Hindu and Zoroastrian influences. Virtues of celibacy, kindness and piety are encouraged, and vices of lust and pride are condemned. Despite transcendent aims, Din–i–Ilahi centered primarily on Akbar as a divine personage and did not attract many followers outside the realm of Akbar's court.
But, the Divine Faith never attracted many Muslim or Hindu converts…When Akbar died, so did the Divine Faith

20. During Akbar’s reign, art flourished
Mughal artists were known for their colorful paintings called miniatures

21. Mughal architecture was known for blending of Hindu & Islamic designs
The greatest example of Mughal architecture is the Taj Mahal which was built in 1631 by Shah Jahan

22. The Decline of the Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire grew weak by 1700 as kings spent too much money on palaces & war
In addition, the large population of Hindus in India began to revolt against their Muslim rulers
The Empire’s Decline and Decay By the end of Aurangzeb’s reign, he had drained the empire of its resources. Over 2 million people died in a famine while Aurangzeb was away waging war. Most of his subjects felt little or no loyalty to him.
As the power of the central state weakened, the power of local lords grew. After Aurangzeb’s death, his sons fought a war of succession. In fact, three emperors reigned in the first 12 years after Aurangzeb died. By the end of this period, the Mughal emperor was nothing but a wealthy figurehead. He ruled not a united empire but a patchwork of independent states.
In 1806 Shah Alam’s son Akbar Shah II acceded to the much diminished empire of the Mughals and ruled until His son Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last emperor of Mughals before the British deposed him in 1858 and the Mughal dynasty would officially come to an end.
Great Britain took advantage of this weakness, conquered India, & removed the last Mughal emperor from power in 1858

23. These empires provided new contributions in law, art, & religion
Conclusions
The Ottomans, Safavids, & Mughals built large Islamic empires using gunpowder militaries
But, their decline by the 1800s allowed newly industrialized European nations to dominate Asia
These empires provided new contributions in law, art, & religion

24. Closure Activity
Complete the chart on the bottom of the notes that compares the 3 gunpowder empires; Be prepared to answer some discussion questions when finished
Create an acrostic for each empire by using at least 3 words that describe the empire
Ottomans Safavids Mughals
O S M
Acrostic ideas:
Ottomans: Open to religion, Opportunities to trade, Organized law by Suleyman, etc.
Safavids: Shah Abbas blended cultures, Strict Shi’a Muslims, Sells Persian carpets, etc.
Mughals: Merged religions in Divine Faith, Married non-Muslims (Akbar), Made Taj Mahal, Muslims leaders like Babar and Akbar, etc.