Empires of Asia

Muslim Empires

The Ottoman Empire 1200s – Turkish clans settled Asia Minor –Conquered Byzantine territory –Made Constantinople their capital in 1453 –Expanded territory Navy –Had a strong navy –Phillip II of Spain defeated in 1571 –Rebuilt navy even stronger Muslim people

Suleiman I Ruled from 1520–1566 “The Lawgiver” –Organized Ottoman laws Both sultan and caliph –Absolute authority –large bureaucracy Grand vizier headed the bureaucracy Janissaries –Fierce and loyal army

Ottoman Law Empire ruled many different people –Class system divided the population Sultan’s family and ruling class Nobility – ran the estates Peasants – worked on the estates –Other religions could still practice in return for a tax Could also run government in their own millets Changed Constantinople to Istanbul Empire gradually declined

Reforms in the Ottoman Empire 1800s they attempted to reform society Wanted to make all cultures eligible to serve in government –Take away political authority of religious leaders Reaction –Resistance from religious leaders who lost control –Other groups didn’t care They didn’t want to be in the Ottoman Empire –A new Sultan in 1877 stopped reforms Removed Parliament

Safavid Persia Shiite leader Ishmail conquered people in Iran –Started Safavid empire Shah Abbas – 1587 –Won back territory from Ottomans –Created alliances with British and Ottomans –Spread culture throughout the Middle East After Shah Abbas, weak rulers hurt empire 1736 Nader Shah came to power –Stopped decline for a few years Qajars established a new Persian dynasty

The Mogul Empire Established a sultanate in Northern India Timur Lenk in India –Conquered much of Central Asia Made Samarkand his capital –Attacked Delhi and Northern India Akbar the Great –Babur conquered Delhi, established Mogul dynasty –Akbar, Babur’s grandson, brought peace to the area Tried to settle tensions between Hindus and Muslims Invited scholars to teach him on other religions

The Mogul Empire Mogul Civilization –Music, painting, and literature flourished –Taj Mahal – created by Shah Jahan for his wife –Muslim traders brought new ideas to India Mogul Decline –Weakened by Hindu religions Later Mogul rulers abandoned religious tolerance