The Muslim World Expands 1300-1700

The Ottoman Empire Turks Move into Byzantium Turkish Warriors Many Turks lived in Anatolia, on the edge of the Byzantine Empire. Many saw themselves as ghazis - warriors who fight for Islam.   Osman Establishes a State From 1300 to 1326, Osman, a successful ghazi, built a state in Anatolia. The West called him Othman and his followers Ottomans. Ottomans won battles because they used gunpowder and cannons. Successors expanded the state through alliances and buying land. Orkhan, Osman’s son, declared himself sultan - overlord. Ottomans rule fairly over conquered peoples.

The Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire Powerful Sultans Spur Dramatic Expansion Mehmed II Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453. This opened the city to new citizens of many religions and backgrounds. Constantinople became Istanbul.   Ottomans Take Islam’s Holy Cities In 1512, Selim the Grim, Mehmed’s grandson, came to power. He defeated the Persian Safavids and pushed into North Africa. He conquered Mecca, Medina, and Cairo: important Muslim cities.

The Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire Suleyman the Lawgiver Suleyman the Lawgiver, Selim’s son, ruled from 1520-1566. He was called Suleyman the Magnificent in the West as a tribute. Under him, the empire reached its peak.

The Ottoman Empire Highly Structured Social Organization Suleyman created a law code, reduced government and simplified taxation. The army used the devshirme system - drafted boys from conquered lands. They trained 30,000 elite soldiers - janissaries - loyal only to the sultan. Christians and Jews were allowed to practice their own religion.

The Ottoman Empire Cultural Flowering Suleyman’s broad interests led to the flourishing of art and literature. He studied poetry, history, geography, astronomy, mathematics, and architecture. He employed the architect, Sinan to create the Mosque of Suleyman which includes schools, library, and hospital. This period was similar to the European Renaissance.

The Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire The Empire Declines Slowly Gradual Fall Suleyman killed one son and exiled another. The third son inherited power but ruled weakly. Later sultans killed their brothers and kept their sons prisoners. This led to a long line of weak rulers leading to the empire’s eventual fall.

The Safavid Empire Timur the Lame (Tammerlane) was a Turco-Mongol who conquered the Persian lands. Timur died in 1405 and tribal leaders battled for control. Ismail declared himself the shah of Iran in 1502 and created the Safavid Empire Religion remained mainly Shi’ite. Culture and scholarship focused on Persian heritage.

The Safavid Empire Shah Abbas I ruled from 1587-1629 Isfahan became the capital due to central location. Economy based on trade in silk, wool carpets. Women were veiled. Some diversity due to trade, but not like other empires. Most peasants did subsistence farming and herding.

The Safavid Empire The empire declined and fell for various reasons. Textile trade not enough to sustain the empire. Nomadic groups (qizilbash=red heads) given land by the shah in exchange for troops, did not follow the shah’s rules. Military upheaval and lack of reform could not respond to the Ottoman pressure. Successors were weak and ineffective. Afghans seized the capital in 1722.

The Mughal Empire The Muslim Delhi Sultanate ruled northern India 1206-1526 and began declining in the 1300s. Babur from Central Asia displaced the last sultan in 1526 creating the Mughal Empire. Mughal=Mongol in Persian, but Babur was really of Turkic descent. Akbar centralized and ruled the empire at its peak. He established a well-organized bureaucracy, strong military and promoted the arts. Economic growth came from trading cotton to Europe. Gave land grants to Hindu kings and incorporated Rajputs (Hindu warriors into the military) to keep peace.

The Mughal Empire Akbar created new religion “Divine Faith” mixing Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. Another new faith emerged, the Sikhs, blending Islam and Hindu elements. Mughal rule became less tolerant and more militant after Akbar’s death. Aurangzeb faced challenges to his authority for his harsh rule. Iran invaded in 1739 ending the empire.

Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal