Transcript The Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Turks
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Named after leader, Osman in late 1200s
1453- Constantinople became their capital: renamed
Istanbul
 End
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of Byzantine Empire
1500s- Sultan Selim I took control of Mesopotamia,
Egypt, and Arabia
 Control
of holy cities: Jerusalem, Mecca, Medina
 Declared himself the new caliph, successor to Muhammad,
defender of faith
Suleiman I, “The Lawgiver”
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Ruled from 1520-1566
Was both sultan (political and
military ruler) & caliph (Sunni Islamic
ruler)
Power passed through hereditary
lines
Grand vizier: sultan’s political
advisor
Ulema: sultan’s group of religious
advisors
Janissaries: members of the army,
often captured from Christian
families as children.
Ottoman Law
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Social classes:
 Rulers:
sultan +officials
 Nobles: owned lots of landagriculture
 Peasants: worked those farms (BIGGEST GROUP!)
Ottomans and Religion
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Some religious tolerance
Other religions could have a leader who presented
the desires of the group (millets)
More lenient towards women
 Could
own property
 Couldn’t be forced into marriage
 Could seek divorce
Ottoman Empire, continued
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Strong Navy to protect trade
Europeans concerned about Ottoman threat to trade
and Christianity
1572- Battle of Lepanto- Spanish fleet defeated the
Ottoman fleet
Ruled until early 1900s, but began losing territory
after loss of the Battle of Carlowitz in 1699
 Corruption,
introduction of alcohol, coffee and tobacco
went against Islamic laws
Ottoman Art
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Pottery, rugs, silk, textiles, jewelry, arms and armor, architecture
 mosques modeled after Hagia Sophia
 minarets- towers that call Muslims to prayer
The Safavid Empire
Islamic Split
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Safavid Persians broke away from the Islamic
Empire because of religious differences.
 Ottoman
sultan claimed religious rule
 Safavid’s followed Shi’ite Islam: religious rule passes
down through the line of Muhammad’s son-in-law, Ali
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Safavids required all subjects to accept Shi’ite form
of Islam
Shah Abbas
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Ruled from 1587-1629
Built Isfahan as the Safavid
capital
 Many
building projects
 Imam Mosque, parks, palace
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Tried to gain any allies possible
against Ottomans
 Even
teamed up with Britain, an
Christian state
Safavid Culture
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Persian culture spread
Language, diplomacy, trade
 Delicate architecture
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Imam Mosque
Decline
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After Shah Abbas, there was a series of weak
rulers.
1736- Nader Shah expanded Persian empire to
greatest height, but he was assassinated in 1747
Late 1700s- Qajar Turks took the throne and ruled
until 1925
The Mogul Empire
Early Mogul Empire
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Late 1300s-Timur Lenk (Tamerlane) ruled central
Asia/India
 Ruthless
leader
 1398- destroyed Delhi, killing thousands
 After his death, his Muslim Empire started to crumble
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1526- Babur (descendent of Timur Lenk) conquered
Delhi at Battle of Panipat
 Set
up Mogul Dynasty
Akbar the Great
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Babur’s grandson was Akbar
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Benevolent ruler who inherited the throne
at age 14
Brought peace and order to northern India
Empire seemed centralized, but actually
many semi-independent states held
together by Emperor Akbar
Encouraged religious tolerance to ensure
peace between Muslims (monotheistic)
and Hindus (many gods)
Din-i-ilahi (The Divine Faith)
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Akbar’s created religion that combined
aspects of Islam, Hinduism, Christianity,
and others.
Mogul Culture
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Music, painting, literature flourished in Mughal India
Courts were centers of art and learning, built libraries
 Akbar
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was illiterate!
Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal at Agra
Trade with China brought gunpowder, paper, and Chinese
porcelain to Mogul India
Taj Mahal
Mogul Decline
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Late 1600s- religious toleration was abandoned
Right to the throne caused fighting between the
ruling family
Persecution of Hindus and Sikhs (another middle
eastern religion) led these religious groups to rebel,
thus weakening the empire.