1. Abd al-Wahhab wrote, “We do not command the destruction of any writings except such as tend to cast people into infidelity to injure their faith, such as those on Logic....”

2. Conquered lands sent tribute to Istanbul. Merchants were middlemen in Asian/European trade. Controlled the gold and slave trade from West Africa.

3. Tolerance towards Christian and Jewish merchants trade agreements with France, allowed trade to flourish.

4. Americas crops (tobacco) were being grown and traded in the empire. Prohibited, Tobacco was very popular in empire.

5. Levied taxes on peasants. Local tax collectors skimmed money from the taxes in their areas. Corruption and large military contributed to the economic decline.

6. Warrior aristocracy that competed for positions in the bureaucracy with the ulama (scholars and experts in Islamic law). Janissaries got powerful enough to mount coups against the sultans.

7. Advisors called viziers came to occupy influential positions in government. They spoke for the sultan.

8. “Harem politics” a reference to the harem, a residence where a man’s wives and concubines lived. Sultan’s wives and concubines promoted their children as heirs to the throne.

9. Continuities; 1.Constantinople remained western end of the Silk Road. 2.Coffeehouse, though banned by Islamic law, continued to thrive throughout the empire. 3.Istanbul remained the center of arts and learning.

10. Change; 1.Eastern Orthodox gave way to Islam. 2.Byzantine emperor by Ottoman sultan. 3.Justinian law replaced by shariah, a system of Islamic laws that deals with all aspects of life.

11. Ismail, conquered most of Persia and Iraq (1501). Proclaimed shah (king or emperor). Denied legitimacy to any Sunni. This strict Shia rule that denied power to Sunnis. Hostility between the two groups still lives.

12. Shah Abbas I (r. 1587- 1629), Safavid Empire at its height. Army used Christian boys pressed into service. Imported weaponry from Europe.

13. Using Shia practices, Safavid rulers created a state religion and paved the way for the Iranian theocracy of today.

14. Unable to stop a rebellion by the heavily oppressed Sunnis in Afghanistan (1722). Ottomans and Russians took advantage of weakened Safavids, seized territories. Safavid Dynasty replaced by the Zand Dynasty in 1760.

15. Traded with the Portuguese, who controlled the Strait of Hormuz.

16. Babur, founded dynasty (1520s). Conquered northern India.

17. Akbar, (r. 1556- 1605), defeated Hindu armies and extended the empire southward and westward. Capital was Delhi. Established an efficient government and a system of fairly administered laws.

18. Government officials called Zamindars. Were giving grants of land rather than salaries and kept part of the taxes paid by local peasants. With this money they built personal armies of soldiers loyal to them.

19. Aurangzeb (r. 1658-1707), inherited an empire weakened by corruption and the failure to keep up with the military innovations of external enemies. British took political power away from the Mughals in the 19th century.

20. Religion Akbar was tolerant to all religions. Mediated conflicts between Hindus and Muslims. Gave Hindus positions in the government. Married Hindu wives. Exempted Hindus from the poll taxes paid by all non-Muslims.

21. Admired the belief of Sikhism that all religious traditions are equally valid, rejecting the claim that a particular religion has a monopoly on Absolute Truth. One principle or practice upheld in Sikhism he admired was the equality of men and women.

22. Encouraged religious blending of faiths. The Bhakti movement, a form of Hinduism, shares features with mystical Sufi forms of Islam.

23. As the Indian poet Kabir wrote: “I am neither in temple nor in mosque... Neither am I in rites and ceremonies.” The “I” refers to God. Akbar created a state religion, known as Din-i- llahi, or “divine faith,” for the purpose of reconciling Hinduism and Islam.

24. Aurangzeb wanted to rid the empire of Hindu influence. Decreed that all would live a pious Islamic lifestyle. Led to peasant uprising. Caused Sikhism to evolve from a peaceful religion into a militant community so that they could defend themselves against Mughal.

25. Education; Encouraged learning. Tried to stop child marriages and sati, the ritual where wives killed themselves after husbands death.

26. Architecture; Mughal builders combined the arts of Islam (calligraphy, and ceramics) with local arts to create airy structures distinguished by their decorative geometric designs. Shan Jahan (r. 1627-1658) built the magnificent Taj Mahal as a tomb for his wife.

27. Overseas commerce carried out by Arab traders. Domestic trade carried out by merchant castes. Merchant castes allowed to participate in banking.

28. That concludes the Islamic Gunpowder Empires.