The Rise of Islamic Empires in the Middle

East, Europe, and India

Readings: Smith, 488-494, 620-639, 647-659

The Rise of The Ottoman Empire

Ottomans Controlled Most of Turkey and the Balkans by 1389

Prior to 1453 – Mehmed II constructed fortress of Rumelyi to control access to Black Sea from the Bospherus

Conquest of Constantinople In 15th Century Ottomans

moved broadly against Europe, Persia, and Egypt.

April 6-May 29 1453 They besieged and conquered Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire, under Sultan Mehmed II, which ended the Byzantine Empire

Benefitted from Hungarian engineer Urban’s bombards or cannons

Used rich iron ore and copper from Hungary

Constantinople becomes Istanbul

Churches like Haghia Sophia were transformed into mosques, though many Christian features remain.

Kariye Kilisesi (Chora Church)

Blue Mosque – 1609-1616

Interior Blue Mosque

Turks Turks faced hostile

populations of Jews, Catholics, Orthodox Christians, some Muslims.

The Turks allowed everyone to practice whatever religion they wanted as long as they paid taxes at first but gradually persecuted Christians and drove many out of the country

Managed vast, culturally diverse empire through the Janissary Army and Civil Service.

Mehmed II: “the ruler of the two seas and the two continents”

Janissaries - Took Christian boys and made them slaves

Under Mehmed II - By 16th century they had control of Mediterranean and Black Seas—fought with Portugal over control of Indian Ocean-

Mehmed aimed to recreate Byzantine Empire as an Islamic state – attempted to rely heavily on Italian culture and fashion

One of main industries: carpet-making

Suleiman the Magnificent

Joined royal and religious law.

He had many challenges Mostly from Eastern

Turkey, the Safavid Empire (the Persians)

How Did Ottomans Exercise Power?

Center of Power – in Istanbul—the Topkapi Saray

A fortress, sanctuary, and shrine Laid out by Mehmed II Outer walls and inner walls with

Inner palace in deep interior—palace housed treasury, a library, and the sultan’s pavilion

Inner court closed to all but state officials – visitors confined to outer court

Around the edges, secret hideaway spots for the Sultan’s harem

Interior Harem

Harem Interior

Ottoman Power

Topkapi Palace housed 10 mosques, 14 bathhouses, 2 hospitals, 2,000 (800) women and 4,000 horses

Sultan housed in sacred spaces with relics of the prophet Muhammad – controlled the institutions and sacred places related to Sunni Islam

Externally—law code, tolerance, military power, still profited from spice trade, tribute from Europeans

Internally—palace often ruled by eunuchs and concubines, as well as sultan’s mother, but more rational than many Europeans believed

Safavid Empire Shaped by Persians (1501-

1773), more a state than an empire, but had imperial ambitions

Like Ottomans, benefitted from trade across Eurasia

Ruled through a hereditary class of fighters – the Qizilbash

Shah Abbas

Expanded the Safavid Empire from 1588-1629

Created capital at Isfahan Won gains in the caucuses

and central Asia, expelled the Portuguese from Hormuz

Insisted that everyone practice Shi’ite version of Islam – left no room for religious pluralism – even though most people they governed not originally Shi’ites

The Mughal Empire Babur started to conquer India

in 1523 and took Delhi in 1526.

Mughal was the Indian word for Mongols

Babur and his followers didn’t like India because of the caste system and religion

Humayun

Early Mughal Rulers – Babur (1483-1530)

Early Mughal Rulers – Humayun – Babur’s Son

Legacy of Humayun (1508-1556)

Faced many obstacles-mostly from brothers

Consolidated Rule Interested in Science

and Astrology Died falling down stairs

from library carrying books

Picture—Humayun with Babur

Akbar – Humayun’s Son (1556-1605)

Was one of the great leaders of India.

He couldn’t read; there is a chance he was dyslexic

He had others read to him so he could learn.

Married daughters of Rajputs (800 wives)

He encouraged art and architecture.

Good fighter but believed in diplomacy – picture with Jesuits at court

Tolerated and encouraged toleration of Hindus

Akbar’s Palace – Fatehpur Sikri

Jahangir (1569-1627

Ruled from 1605-1627 after father-Akbar-died

Very well educated, spoke 4 languages

He had little interest in India Emphasized Sunni Islam He married a Persian – Nur

Jahan and let her run the country – she had been a widow in his court

More interested in drinking and smoking opium than ruling

Nur Jahan – Power Behind the Throne Persian – gave positions in

government to all her male relatives

Tough ruler Good businesswoman–

encouraged trade and industry-manufactured perfume, cosmetics

Owned ships she used for commercial endeavors

Wrote poetry under the name Makhifi

Shah Jahan Jahangir’s son Basically imprisoned Nur

Jahan until she died (she had backed his brother)

He ruled from 1628-1657.

Built the Peacock throne and the Taj Majal.

Built the Taj Majal as a monument to his wife when she died in childbirth in 1631.

Peacock Throne

Taj Majal

Rebellion of Aurangzeb Defeats Father - Shah

Jahan in 1658 and becomes emperor.

Ruled until 1707. He actively tries to

conquer all of India and got most of it except the South.

Rule of Aurangzib

Aurangzib was an ardent Muslim and he prohibited the Hindu religion and destroyed the Hindu temples.

In 1679 he imposed a special tax on non-Muslims and created an Islamic moral police that tried to enforce orthodoxy.

He also required all women to marry

By his death there was much turmoil.

A summary of these empires Though these were powerful empires why did

they decline? One reason was they spent a lot of money fighting wars Spent enormous sums on monumental architecture to

display power Power – Superficially external visible – Real power Hidden

in inner quarters Worked well when tolerant – mostly not Resisted new developments in western technology and

science Saw trade very differently from Europeans.