The Ottoman Empire Safavid Dynasty The Muslim Empires The Ottoman Empire Safavid Dynasty

The Turks Anatolian Peninsula given by Seljuk Turks Expanded westward Bosporus and Dardanelles Expanded into the Balkans An elite guard called Janissaries Christians converted to Islam Knowledge of firearms.

Ottoman Empire Mehmet II Sultan Selim I (Selim the Grim) Laid seige to Constantinople, 1453 Renamed Istanbul Sultan Selim I (Selim the Grim) Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Arabia Holy cities there. Caliph= defender of the faith and successor to Muhammad.

Ottomans Muslims Preferred to administer through local rulers. Pashas= govt appt’d officials Centralized government Killing off all contenders: Killed brothers & close friends.

Europe Advanced into the Balkans, but stopped by Hungarians. Suleyman I, 1520 - 1566 Went up the Danube and took Belgrade. Conquered most of Hungary and moved into Austria, but were defeated at Vienna in 1529. 1683 tried again, but Europeans defeated them. (never again!)

Nature of Ottoman Rule “Gunpowder Empire” Empire formed by outside conquerors who unified the regions that they conquered through their mastery of firearms. Sultan – supreme authority (hereditary) Struggles over succession Centralized Administration Harem (private domain) Wives, queen mother

Rule, cont’d. Imperial council Grand vizier Sultan sat behind a screen Empire divided into provinces

Religion & Ottomans Sunni Muslims Ulema= advisors; legal system; schools Generally tolerant of non-Muslims Non members paid a tax Most in Euro areas remained Christian

Ottoman Society Divided society was divided into five categories: Men of sword – soldiers Men of pen – scientists, lawyers, judges, poets Men of negotiation – merchants, tax collectors, artisans Men of husbandry- farmers and herders Millets – religious communities (Greek Christians, Armenian Christians, Jews) All land belonged to the Sultan Women: almost equal to men. Allowed to own and inherent property Could not be forced to marry In some cases could get divorced. Some worked in government

Problems in the Empire Executed two sons suspected of treason. Began to lose territory. Internal disintegration. Sultans became less involved in govt. Training of officials declined. Nepotism. Central bureaucracy lost touch w/ rural areas. Corruption, wars debt, Cultural changes countered – executions….

Safavid Empire

The Rule of the Safavids Ardent Shittes, or Shia Founded by Shah Ismail Called himself Shah, or king. Sent preachers out to convert people in Ottoman Empire. Ordered massacre of Sunni Muslims in Baghdad in 1508. Capital moved from Tabriz to Isfahan.

Shah Abbas Ruled from 1588 – 1629 Used a similar system to janissaries in Ottoman Empire. He centralized government power unto himself He used force and diplomacy against the Ottomans; he allied himself with the enemies of the Ottomans.

The Fall of the Safavid Empire Dynasty lost vigor after Shah Abbas Successors didn’t have the talent/political skills. Intellectual freedom Religious orthodoxy increased. Affected women The Safavid declined because of the growing power of the Shia clerics. They challenged the authority of the shah. They persecuted the non-Shias. Persia sank into a long period of social anarchy

Political and Social Structure Turkish + Persian Political System organized like a pyramid. Shah Bureaucracy and landed classes. Common people

The Shah Shah Ismail was believed to be a direct successor of Muhammad. Shia Islam was the state religion. Available to subjects. Faces engraved in cups. Shahs controlled the power of the aristocracy. Government controlled the land. Government positions based on merit (not birth)

Economy and Trade Large Urban Middle Class involved. Most goods traveled by horse or camel caravan. Roads were poor, but government provided resting places.

Safavid Culture Science, medicine, mathematics was equal to that of other societies in the region. Beautiful Architecture. Metalwork, elaborate tiles, glass Isfahan, modern-day Iran. Silk Carpet weaving.