Islamic Gunpowder Empires

Rise of the Islamic Gunpowder Empires Multi-ethnic empires in Southwest, Central and South Asia Ottoman Safavid Mughal

Rise of the Islamic Gunpowder Empires Were from Turkic backgrounds This means the Arab influence on Islam had faded It also means the Mongol khanates were gone Multi racial/ethnic background

The Rule of Tamerlane Real name Timur (Iron) Lane = lame – see the trivia Muslim Rules

The Rule of Tamerlane Encouraged art, literature, and architecture Silk Road pays for it and makes it happen Destroyed lots of things Cities Churches People

The Rule of Tamerlane Fails to leave a effective political organization Empire fails during infighting in 15 years Trivia Russians excavate his tomb "Who ever opens my tomb, shall unleash an invader more terrible than I." The same day Gerasimov begun the exhumation, Adolf Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa Timur was re-buried with full Islamic ritual in November 1942 just before the Soviet victory at the Battle of Stalingrad.

The Ottoman Empire 1300 – 1918 Osman Dynasty Muslim

Mehmed II Captures Constantinople End of Byzantine/Roman Empire (remember Ivan married last emperor’s daughter in 1469)

Mehmed II Devshirme - (literally "collecting" in Turkish) The blood tax or tribute in blood Annual practice of abducting boys, ages eight to eighteen Sons of Christian subjects in the villages of the Balkans and Anatolia. [ [ Converted to Islam Trained for military or civil service of the Empire

Mehmed II Janissaries - elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman Sultan's household troops and bodyguards. Sultan Murad I created the force in 1383 Janissaries grew from 20,000 in 1575, to 49,000 (1591), dropped to a low of 17,000 (1648), then rebounded to 135,000 in Disbanded in 1826 – 6,000 executed

Suleiman I Ruled 1520 – 1566 Expanded the Ottoman Empire Legislative changes relating to society education taxation criminal law

Ottoman Economy Controlled North African trade routes Controlled the Black Sea Controlled the end of the Silk Road Traded extensively with Europe Benefitted from the Columbian Exchange Tobacco Cotton

Social Classes Warrior aristocracy conflicts with Islamic leaders (ulama) Harem had a role Merchant middle class No surprise here…they owned the best trade routes Relative toleration of other faiths

Decline of the Ottoman Empire Growing European power helped in the decline Isolation of the ruling class Rise of the Safavids “Sick man of Europe” by the time of its fall

The Safavids Persian – Shia Difficult borders Silk Road bypassed Sunni – Shia conflict

Mughal India Descendants of Tamerlane 1526 – 1827 Akbar Tolerant of other religions Encouraged art, architecture, literature Falls to British and French

Mughal India

Decline of the Gunpowder Empires European expansion Religious conflict Sunni – Shia Hindu – Muslim Christian – Muslim Without expansion they collapse Internal strife External pressure Decline of the need for the Silk Road