 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.

 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



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.

 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

 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

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

 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