Islamic Empires in Asia

The Ottoman Empire- Anatolia

The Rise of the Ottomans  Ghazis- warriors for Islam  Came to Anatolia (Turkey) to escape Mongols  Osman- a ghazi leader, fought successful campaigns against Byzantines  His tribe became known as the Ottomans  Took over much of Anatolia  Janissaries– highly trained and educated slave soldiers for Ottoman sultan  Christian slaves, forced to convert to Islam

 Timur (Mongolian ruler) challenged Ottoman expansion  Claimed to be descendant of Ghengis Khan  Made Ottomans return land they had taken from other ghazi rulers  Mehmed II became sultan  Captured Constantinople from Byzantines, made it the Ottoman capital (Istanbul)  Suleyman was the greatest Ottoman sultan  Expanded empire to eastern Europe, western Asia, north Africa.

Ottoman Government and Society  Social classes– lots of social mobility  Small ruling class vs. Reaya (the masses)  The millet system  Separate religious communities under general control of sultan  Each community had own laws, customs, taxes, and courts.

 Slow decline begins after Suleyman’s death  Economic problems– lost control of Silk and Spice routes  Europeans found new trade routes that bypassed the Turks, ended their trade monopoly  Corruption & Rebellions  European expansion  France took Egypt  Russia took Crimean Peninsula  Lost lands in the Balkans (Greece, Serbia)  Ottoman Empire officially ended in 1923 when Turkey established itself as a republic

The Safavid Empire- Persia

The Rise of the Safavids  Safavid Persia- modern-day Iran  Safī od-Dīn  Shifted from Sunni to Shi‘ah  Persecuted by Sunni  Kizilbash  Military group that fought back against Sunni persecution  Well known for the red hats they wore  Fought for the Safavids  Esmā’īl’s religious policy  Brought all of Iran and some of Iraq under his rule, took title of Shah (king of kings)  Declared Shi‘ah official religion to develop distinct Persian identity and unify the nation

 Military reforms by Abbas the Great  Slave soldiers who were loyal to the shah  Modeled army after the Ottomans  The height of the empire  Recaptured lost territory from Uzbeks  Policies of economic growth– encouraged manufacturing and foreign trade  Empire declined, lack of competent rulers  Safavid empire ended in 1736.

The Mughal Empire- India

The Origin of the Mughal Empire  1300s: Turkish Muslims controlled India  Rajputs- Indian warrior princes  Began to challenge power of the Delhi sultans  Outsiders saw India as weak, open to attack  Bābur “the Tiger”  Descendant of Timur  Captured Delhi and surrounding region

The Growth of Mughal Power  Akbar  Babur’s grandson; the greatest Mughal emperor  Religious policy  Tolerant of all religions  Established Divine Faith that blended elements of Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Christianity, and other religions  Supported the arts  Architecture blended Persian, Islamic, and Hindu styles  Economy and trade  Improved tax systems  Many resources for trade  Sea routes to Asia

A New Religion  Sikhism  New religion blended Islam & Hinduism  Monotheistic  No idols  Less rigid social system  Became militant and enemies of Mughal Empire and Muslims

The Height of the Mughal Empire  Shah Jahan  Extravagant ruler, spent lavishly on buildings such as the Taj Mahal  The Taj Mahal was a tomb for his dead wife, was made of solid marble and inlaid with precious gems  Mughals were also engaged in wars against the Persians  Huge armies are very expensive to maintain  To make ends meet, ShahJahan increased taxes, many people suffered because of his extravagance

 Aurangzeb (son of Jahan)  Killed his older brother and imprisoned Jahan, took power  Imposed strict Islamic law  Banned celebrations  Ended government spending on buildings and monuments  Persecuted all other faiths  Heavily taxed Hindus and destroyed their temples, oppressed Shi’ah and Sufi Muslims  His strict rule eventually lead to an uprising and chaos in the Mughal Empire  Used elephants to crush protestors  Revolts and economic problems weakened empire  Wondered on his deathbed if his actions pleased God