Muslim Empires
• Standard: Examine the origins and
contributions of the Ottoman, Safavids, and
Mughal empires.
• Essential Question: What were the origins and
contributions of the Ottoman, Safavids, and
Mughal empires?
Ottoman
Safavid
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Mughal
Origins of Muslim Empires
• Element: Describe the geographical extent of the
Ottoman Empire during the rule of Suleyman the
Magnificent, the Safavid Empire during the reign
of Shah Abbas I, and the Mughal Empire during
the reigns of Babur and Akbar.
• Vocabulary: Ottoman Empire, Suleyman the
Magnificent, Safavid Empire, Shah Abbas I,
Mughal Empire, Babur, and Akbar
Growth of the Ottomans
Constantinople captured, 1453
• Captured by Sultan Mehmed II
• End of the Byzantine Empire
• Constantinople (Istanbul) was
rebuilt and gained population and
wealth
• Tolerance for dhimmis
• More emphasis on military than
economic power “conquest over
commerce”
• Ottoman Empire continued to
expand for the next century
• Ottoman Sultans were also the
Caliphs of (Sunni) Islam
Nations Today
Ottoman:
• Turkey, Egypt, Greece, and parts of the Arabian
Peninsula and North Africa
Safavid:
• Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan
Mughal:
• Afghanistan, Pakistan, India
Contributions of Muslim Empires
• Element: Explain the ways in which these
Muslim empires influenced religion, law, and
the arts in their parts of the world.
Suleiman the Magnificent 1520-1566
• Greatest Ottoman ruler
• Called “The Lawgiver” or
‘The Just” by Muslims
• Codified the Shari’a law
system
• Rebuilt and beautified
Istanbul
• Patron of the arts, poet,
made Istanbul a center of
Ottoman cultural flowering
Ottoman Empire
Religion:
• Sunni Muslims
• tolerant of non-Muslims, had to pay special
tax (Jizya)
• Janissaries: A member of the elite forces of
the Ottoman military
Ottoman Empire
Law:
• Suleyman created a law
code
• maintained Islamic law
– Initiated legal reforms that
include criminal, property
rights, and administrative
regulations
• applied to all Muslims in
the empire
Ottoman Empire
Art:
• production of pottery, rugs, silk, other textiles,
jewelry, arms, and armor all flourished
• greatest artistic accomplishment was in
architecture, especially the mosques
• Suleimanye Mosque in Istanbul
• IMPACT: his legacy had profound impact on the
wealth and power of the Empire for centuries
Suleimanye Mosque
Suleiman Mosque
The death of Suleiman and the decline of
the Ottomans
• As Suleiman grew older he
lost interest in government
and allowed the
bureaucracy to rule alone
• He allowed his sons to be
raised uneducated in the
harem, dominated by their
mothers
• This set a precedent for
future Sultans and their
sons
Ottoman Decline
• Over the next several centuries, the Ottoman Empire
gradually declined
• Europeans gained control of the seas and ended
Muslim trade monopolies
• Succession problems and uneducated Sultans
• European economic competition
• Technological and cultural conservatism
Safavid Empire
Religion:
• Shi’ite Muslims
• believed shah to be a
descendant of
Muhammad
• tolerant of other religions
• brought members of
Christian religious orders
into the empire
• Europeans moved into
the land
Safavid Empire
Law:
• all land controlled by the Shah
• appointment of aristocracy by merit, not birth
• promoted only officials who proved their
competence and loyalty
• hired foreigners from neighboring countries to
fill positions in government
• punished corruption severely
Safavid Empire
Art:
• Isfahan was a planned city with wide spaces
and a sense of order
• Palaces, mosques, and bazaars surrounded a
huge polo ground
• metalwork, elaborate tiles, and delicate glass
• Carpet Weaving
Isfahan Royal Palace
Safavid Empire
Art:
• Silk weaving based on
new techniques
flourished
• brightly colored silks, with
gold and silver threads,
portrayed birds, animals,
and flowers
• carpet weaving
flourished, wool carpets
prized throughout the
world
Safavid Empire
Art:
• Riza-i-Abbasi was the
most famous artist of
the period
• painted simple subjects
such as oxen plowing,
hunters, and lovers
Decline and Fall of the Safavids
• Succession problems after the death of Abbas
I
• European economic competition
• Religious conflict between Sunnis and Shiites
• 1722: Safavids collapsed
Mughal Empire
Religion:
• Muslims in a region
dominated by the Hindu
• defended religious
freedoms
• Akbar married 2
Hindus, a Christian and
a Muslim to show
religious tolerance
• Caligraphy
The Mughals
• Descended from the
Mongols
• Influenced by Chinese
and Islamic cultures
• Originated in Turkestan
in Central Asia
• Sunni Muslims with Sufi
influence
Akbar the Great 1556-1605
• Greatest ruler of Indian
history
• Became Shah at age 13
• Completed the
conquest of Northern
India
• Developed an efficient
bureaucracy
• Attempted to win over
Hindus
Mughal Empire
Law:
• abolished both tax on Hindu pilgrims and the
hated jizya, the tax on non-Muslims
• governed through bureaucracy
• Income tax, calculating it as a percentage of
the value of the peasants crops
• generous land grants to bureaucrats, after
their death reclaimed the land and distributed
them as he saw fit
Mughal Empire
Art:
• Hindi-a mixture of Persian and local language,
main language of India
• Urdu- “from the soldiers camp.” Blend of
Arabic, Persian, and Hindi. Official language of
Pakistan
• Hindi literature revival
Mughal Empire
Art:
• Akbar syle - portrayed humans in action, something
generally absent from Persian art
• Book illustrations-small, highly detailed, and colorful
paintings also known as miniatures
• Architecture-massive but graceful structures are
decorated with intricate stonework that portrays
Hindu themes
Mughal Art
Mughal Architecture
MUGHAL SPLENDOR!
• Taj Mahal - decorated with cut-stone geometric patterns,
delicate black tracery, or inlays of colored precious stones in
floral mosaics
• A blending of syncretic architectural practices
• Minarets – towers influenced from the
Byzantine/Ottomans
• Persian Safavid domes
• Arch – Isfahan influence (Persian)
Mausoleum:
a building, especially a large and stately one, housing a tomb or
tombs.
Built for Mumtaz Mahal (
Jahan 1628-1658
• Expanded Empire
• Defeated the
Portuguese
• Known for magnificent
architectural projects
What were the similarities &
differences between the three Muslim
empires?
Ottoman
• Anatolia
Peninsula,
Europe & Nth
Africa
• religious
fervor & zeal
for Islamic
conversion
• Sunni Muslim
Safavid
• Persia (Iran)
• religious fervor
& zeal for
Islamic
conversion
• mostly Muslim
• Shi’ia
(Shiite)Muslim
Mughal
• Northern India
• rule predominantly
non-Muslim
population
What were the similarities &
differences between the three Muslim
empires?
• DIFFERENCES
– Sunni/Shi’ia enmity (hatred) meant warring over
territory & persecuting adherents of rival brand of
Islam
– leads to varying religious practices, legal codes &
social organization