The Ottoman & Safavid Empires World History I Chapter

Where

Rise of the Ottomans  Turkish tribe in Anatolia  Became an empire in the 1300s  Conquered the city of Constantinople in 1453

Ottoman Government  Ruled by a sultan  Viziers played a critical role  Bureaucrats helped govern the empire  The military had more & more control over time

Role of Religion  The Ottomans were Sunni Muslims  Jews, Christians, Muslims and others lived in the empire – some Ottoman sultans promoted tolerance  Shi’a Muslims, however, were often persecuted  Ottomans bought and kidnapped Christian boys, converted them to Islam and trained them as a military elite, the Janissaries

Rise of the Safavids  The Turkish group conquered Iran & Iraq in 1501  Cannon & artillery helped them build their empire

Safavid Government  Ruled by a shah  Shah was absolute ruler  Administration was held by both Safavids & foreigners loyal to shah

Role of Religion  The Safavids were Shi’a Muslims  They made everyone in the empire convert to Shi’a Islam to encourage unity  European merchants were treated w/tolerance & encouraged to visit & trade  Shahs persecuted Sunni Muslims in their territory  Like Ottomans, Safavids kidnapped or bought Christian Russian boys to convert to Islam & form an elite military force