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Morgan Parker
Dick William
HIS 112 2B1
11 March 2013
Mid- Term
An Empire is a group of nations that is ruled by a very powerful Emperor. The Ottoman
and the Mughul are considered two of the greatest Empires in history. The Ottoman Empire was
located in the center of Turkey and covered large parts of Europe, Asia, Africa and parts of the
Middle East. It was one of the largest, most powerful and longest- lasting empires in the history
of the world. The Mughul Empire was located in India, which was the last Empire of India. Such
was their greatness that they left a lasting impact on Indian history. Even though these two
Empires were both remarkable they did have some similarities but they also had many
differences.
The Ottoman Empire began as one of many small Turkish states but soon expanded
because of Murad II and Muhammad II. This successful Empire lasted for over 600 years. Under
the rule of strong leaders the Empire began to flourish. Their strength rested on a strong military
organization and their tolerance for the various ethnic and religious groups that they conquered
("Mughal Empire vs. Ottoman Empire."). But even at its height, the empire displayed some
important weaknesses, including economic advance, low agriculture productivity, and narrow
cultural achievements. This eventually led to their downfall.
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India had been without a major empire for almost a thousand years. Then The Mughal
Dynasty came into power. The Mughals were an incredible dynasty, and at their peak they
produced a successive set of great rulers. It was also during their reign that some of the finest
monuments of India were built("Mangalorean Recipes."). The Mughul Empire lasted from 1526
to 1857 for a total of 331 years. There were many reasons for their downfall, some of it being
Aurangzeb, weak successors, no definite law of succession, poor economy and foreign invasions.
One of the most noteworthy attributes of the Ottoman rule was their toleration of
different religious beliefs. The Ottomans main religion was Islam, but they did not force their
religion on others. Ottoman tolerance was based on cleverness and good will. It was in the
interest of the Turkish Muslims to be tolerant of other religions ("Mughal Empire vs. Ottoman
Empire."). They had different churches and synagogues, where different religions like
Christianity and Judaism could go to worship. But there were certain rules between the Muslims
and the non- Muslims. Islam was the dominant religion and rulers had to be Muslim. Muslims
were also not allowed to convert to other religions and non- Muslims could not change their
religion to Muslim. To distinguish non- Muslims, they were forced to wear distinctive clothing
and they were not allowed at certain places at certain times ("The Ottoman Empire."). The most
important regulation was that other religions had to pay a special tax called jizya ("Mughal
Empire vs. Ottoman Empire."). This was an agreement that was made between the non- Muslims
and the Muslims. In return for tolerance of religious practice and protection of the Islamic state,
the other religions agreed to pay the tax and to accept the restrictions.
But the Ottoman religious toleration was not perfect. Muslims were without a doubt the
first citizens in the Empire. Ottoman toleration was not Ottoman equality. There were still a lot
of prejudices among the Muslims, Jews, and the Christians ("Mughal Empire vs. Ottoman
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Empire."). The Ottoman toleration was not successful because it was perfect. It was successful
because it was so much better than what existed elsewhere. In Europe only one religion was
tolerated and only conversion, exile or death was acceptable. The success of this Empire can be
seen in the fact that a large number of Christians and Jewish communities existed in the Ottoman
area until the end of the Empire ("Mughal Empire vs. Ottoman Empire.").
The Mughul Empire was also like the Ottoman Empire in the sense that they were also
very tolerant of other religions. King Babur preached Islamic values but he focused on setting a
good example for the Mughul Dynasty by emphasizing religious tolerance ("Mangalorean
Recipes."). But the dynasty was still unstable until the reign of Akbar. Under Akbar’s rule, the
court abolished the jizya tax. He created his own religion that was a mix of Islam,
Zoroastrianism, Jainism and Christianity. It was proclaimed the state religion until his death
("Mangalorean Recipes."). Akbar’s acceptance of other religions and toleration of their public
worship, his abolition of poll- tax on non- Muslims and his interest in other faiths show his
attitude of considerable religious tolerance.
But in the minds of his orthodox Muslim opponents, they did not like that he was so
tolerant of other religions. They believed that the true religion should be Muslim. Religious
orthodoxy would only pay an important role during the reign of Aurangzeb, a devout Muslim.
There was religious tyranny unleashed because of Aurangzeb ("Mangalorean Recipes."). The last
of the Great Mughuls retracted most of the tolerant policies of his forbears. Under his reign the
Empire reached its greatest extent in terms of territorial gain and economic strength.
Women in the Ottoman Empire were not uneducated or uncultured or sex slaves as many
people may have thought of them to be. Women had rights regarding inheritance, marriage and
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divorce. The Turkish men governed the Empire but their wives governed them. The wife ruled
the household unless the husband’s mother was present ("The Ottoman Empire."). A mother’s
position would be enhanced by bearing a son and she would be in charge of finding her son or
daughter a suitable marriage partner. But when the Ottomans fell under the influence of
European ideas, a lot of things changed even for the women of the Ottomans ("The Ottoman
Empire.").
The Mughul women were also similar to the Ottoman women. The Mughul Dynasty gave
women equality in most regions. They could fight in the military, own property, own businesses.
Some were also educated, and could seek divorce. Women were often asked for their opinion on
important matters ("Mughal Empire vs. Ottoman Empire.”). With women part of their system the
Mughul Empire was able to make better decisions, establish a better family life and was able to
govern the society more effectively.
In the early period the Ottomans practiced open succession, which meant that it was the
survival of the fittest, not the eldest son ("The Ottoman Empire."). During their fathers reign all
of the adult sons participated in the Empires government. The sons were accompanied and
mentored by their mothers. The father could also give a hint about who was his favorite by
giving his favorite son a higher rank in the government ("The Ottoman Empire."). When their
father would pass away they would fight among themselves until one emerged triumphant.
The Mughul Empire was also very similar to the Ottoman Empire. The successor was the
son of the sultan that was in power. They were also mentored by their father and by their
mothers, they raised them to one day become very powerful Sultans ("Mughal Empire vs.
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Ottoman Empire."). Out of all of the Emperors the two most powerful rulers were Akbar and
Aurangzeb. Both rulers expanded the empire greatly.
The Ottoman and the Mughul Empire were two of the greatest and most powerful
civilizations of the ancient period. These Empires were the largest and the most influential
civilizations of the Muslim world.
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Works Cited
"Mangalorean Recipes." Effects of the Mughal Empire on India. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.
"Mughal Empire vs. Ottoman Empire." Teen Ink. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.
"The Ottoman Empire." The Ottoman Empire. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.
Parker
Morgan Parker
William Dick
HIS 112 2B1
11 March 2013
Mid- Term
The French Revolution was a time of great turmoil in French history. The Revolution
began in 1789. It began to attempt to solve the financial crisis and then it intensified to an attack
on the political and social intuitions. The French Revolution was one of the most pivotal events
in the history of Europe.
During the French Revolution, the past absolute monarchy and the entire social three
estates system was overthrown. The powerful influence of the French Revolution can be traced
to the third class (“Carter, Andrew”). They were tired of being treated like this, and they wanted
drastic changes right away. They saw the French Revolution as a beacon of light (“Carter,
Andrew”). They wanted more respect and a say in the government. The people were starving and
malnourished while others were feasting away. Finally they had enough and this began the
violent revolts.
Since the beginning of the nineteenth century the legacy of the French Revolution has
been debated by politicians, revolutionaries, and political theorists ("Liberty Equality, Fraternity:
Exploring the French Revolution."). The Revolution gave birth to what came to be known as
“ideologies.” An ideology was a system of ideas and ideals, which forms the basis of economic
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or political policy. Before 1789, most people lived with the government that their ancestors had
known for centuries ("Liberty Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution."). This was
usually a hereditary monarchy. But after 1789, no form of government could be accepted unless
it was accepted by the people. The legacies of the French Revolution established a republic.
Modern nationalism began in France during the revolutionary decade and was spread by
Napoleon armies to the rest of Europe. Europeans adapted to the idea of nationalism because it
meant that they had the right to resist French control ("A Short Summary of The French
Revolution.").
The French Revolution was a very big part of Europe history. Between 1789 and 1802
France was consumed by a revolution which radically changed the government, administration,
military and the culture of the nation. The revolution was also responsible for plunging Europe
into a series of wars. France went from an absolutist monarch to a republic where the people had
more say in their government and everything that effected them.
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Works Cited
“Carter, Andrew. "The French Revolution for Dummies (and 'Les Misérables' Watchers)." The
Daily Beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast, 24 Dec. 2012. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.
"Liberty Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution." Chapter 10 Page 4. N.p., n.d.
Web. 11 Mar. 2013.
"A Short Summary of The French Revolution." Yahoo! Contributor Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 11
Mar. 2013.