1. Gunpowder Empires Essential Question:
What were the achievements of the “gunpowder empires”: Ottomans, Safavids, & Mughals?

2. I. 1300 to 1700, three “gunpowder empires” dominated parts of Europe, Africa, & Asia
B. The Safavid Empire
C. The Mughal Empire
A. 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. D. These 3 empires were unique but shared some similarities:
1. All 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.
2. All were Islamic & ruled by Muslim leaders with well-organized gov’ts
3. All blended their culture with neighboring societies to create a high point of Islamic culture

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

5. The Ottoman Military
2. 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
3. In 1453, the Ottomans conquered Constantinople & the Byzantine Empire

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

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

9. c. Suleyman’s greatest accomplishment was creating a stable gov’t for his empire
i. “Suleyman the Lawgiver” because he created a law code that governed criminal & civil issues
ii. He created a simplified & fair tax system to raise money for his empire
iii. He granted freedom of worship to Christians & Jews living in the empire

10. Ottoman miniature painting
d. Art, architecture, & poetry flourished under Suleyman 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 Suleyman by architect, Sinan

11. C. The Decline of the Ottoman Empire
1. To maintain their power against rivals, Suleyman & other Ottoman sultans executed their brothers & jailed their sons which led to progressively weaker leaders
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.
2. By the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the Ottoman Empire was so weak it was known as the “sick man of Europe”