The Rise and Decline of the
(Islamic) Gunpowder Empires
AP World History
1450-1750
Overview
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Rise of Ottomans, Safavid, and Mughal
Empires
Conditions of Europe
Big Question: What accounts for the rise of
the Gunpowder Empires and why aren’t they
able to keep pace with Europe?
Ottoman Rise
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Void left by Mongols taken up by Ottomans
(among others)
Cavalry, Janissaries dominate
Conquer Constantinople, make it their
capital
Considered the “terror of Europe”
Ottoman Military Might
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Adopted firearms readily – easily defeated
Muslim rivals, Hungary
Initially they had superior technology
15th Century - Build navy to ward off
Europeans, gain control of Mediterranean
(Significance?)
400 Years of Decline
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Military victories bring about decline, how?
Had to constantly guard gains
Multiethnic lead to ethnic rivalries
Religious diversity at times leads to
religious rivalries
400 Years of Decline
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Conservative Islam focused on tradition,
spirituality
Turks did not have the resources,
forethought to modernize army
Trade imbalance
Middle class heavily taxed (why relevant?)
Numerous ineffective leaders
Land-Based Empires
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Focus on self-defense
Agricultural base, not industrialization
Centralized power
Large land masses
Controlled by large administrative and
economic systems
Why have you never heard of Gunpowder
Empires?
Safavid (1501 – 1722)
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The Safavid Dynasty started
with Shah Ismail (1501).
He was a descendant of Safi
al-Din who had been the
leader of a Turkish ethnic
groups in Azerbaijan near the
Caspian Sea.
Under Ismail, the Safavid took
control of much of Iran and
Iraq
Safavid
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Ismail called himself “shah,” or
king, of the new Persian state.
Ismail was a Shiite Muslim. He
sent preachers to different
areas to convert members of
the Ottoman Empire.
This led to the massacre of
Sunni Muslims when he took
Baghdad.
Lost the Battle of Chaldiran
(1514); prevents Shi’ism from
spreading further west
Safavid
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Shah Abbas, who ruled from 1588
to 1629, brought the Safavids to
their highest point of glory.
He usurped the throne from his
father and imprisoned him. He
later killed the man who helped
him get the throne.
He attacked the Ottoman Turks,
with European help – they saw
the Safavids as allies – to regain
lost lands from the Ottomans.
The Safavids could not keep
territorial gains, but a treaty was
signed in 1612 returning
Azerbaijan to the Safavids.
Safavid
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The Safavid Empire went from
Azerbaijan on the Caspian
Sea east to India; along the
Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea
north to the southern border of
Russia.
When Shah Abbas died,
religious orthodoxy, a pressure
to conform to traditional
religious beliefs, increased.
Women were to give up
freedom for a life of seclusion
and the wearing of the veil.
Safavid
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Isfahan was the Safavid capital.
While under Shah Hussein, it was
taken by Afghan peoples.
Persia sank into a period of
anarchy – lawlessness and
disorder.
The role of the shah was that of a
king.
The social structure was Shah,
bureaucracy and landed classes,
then the common people.
The official religion was Shia
Islam because the Shiites
supported the shahs at first.
Safavid
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Isfahan was the jewel of the
Safavid Empire, and it is still
that for modern-day Iran.
Silk weaving flourished, but
carpet weaving flourished
more – Persian rugs are still
prized today.
Riza-i-Abbasi is the most
famous artist of this time. He
made beautiful works about
simple subjects such as oxen
plowing, hunters, and lovers.
They used soft colors and
flowing movement in painting.
Rise of Mughal India
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Rise of power swift, easily conquered and controlled
Northern India.
Babur conquered Sultanate of Delhi (1526)
Akbar (most important) solidified power, made social
changes
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Created a new religion “Divine Faith” with elements of Hinduism
and Islam - unsuccessful
Eliminated jizya tax on Hindus
Allowed Hindus to build temples again
Promoted Hindus in the gov’t
Outlawed Sati, discouraged child marriage
Mughal Power
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Massive armies, cavalry, artillery, no navy
Firearms purchased from Europeans, limited
local production
Troops poorly trained – conscripted from poor
Mughal’s had no Navy (merchants privately
owned ships to trade: Silk, Cotton, indigo)
Government was decentralized (tradition of
regional control)
Mughal Decline
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Public works
(including the
Taj Mahal)
drain budgets
Later rulers
more
interested in
Pleasure than
Governance
Mughal Decline
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Wars to conquer
Southern India depleted
reserves, distracted
emperor from internal
problems (uprisings and
revolts), and incursions
from Persian and
Afghan warriors bands
Aurangzeb expanded at
the expense of local
problems.
Mughal Decline
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Repressive tax system, with few
benefits seen by poor
Extensive bureaucracy allowed
large scale corruption
Later emperors refused to
integrate Hindus into the gov’t
(80% of population)
Military technology unable to
match European development –
modernization plan – Why?
What were the similarities & differences
between the three Muslim empires?
SIMILARITIES
- origins in Turkic nomadic raiders of Central Asia based on military conquest
- oriented to support armies & military classes using firearms
- effective use of firearms and siege warfare
- ruled by a disputed succession of absolute monarchs
-court rituals patterned after those of earlier Islamic dynasties
-Taxed conquered peoples heavily
OTTOMAN
-Anatolia Peninsula,
Europe & Nth Africa
-religious fervor &
zeal for Islamic
conversion
-mostly Muslim, large
Christian minority
-Sunni Muslim
SAFAVID
-Persia (Iran)
-religious fervor & zeal
for Islamic conversion
-mostly Muslim
-Shi’ia Muslim
MUGHAL
-Northern India
-rule pre-dominantly
non-Muslim population
DIFFERENCES
-Sunni (Ottoman and Mughal) v. Shi’a (Safavid) enmity meant warring over territory &
persecuting adherents of rival brand of Islam
- leads to varying religious practices, legal codes & social organization