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The Muslim 1300-1700

Modern World History Questions to Consider

• Question: How did the help these Middle Eastern societies grow? • Question: What factors allowed the Ottomans to grow to be so powerful? • Question: What factors caused the Safavids to decline and fall? • Question: What were the major factors that led to the rise and fall of the ? European Trade and the Silk Road in the East The Silk Road The Silk Road was an interconnected series of routes through southern traversed by caravan connecting to the … and from there to Before the discovery of the sea route to , it was the most important connection between the East and West The Silk Road Question: How did the Silk Road help these Middle Eastern societies grow? Goods as well as knowledge and ideas traveled between east and west. This is cultural diffusion. Example: Buddhism spread from India to China The Middle East served as the middle ground between European consumers and the silks and spices of East Asia, making it the necessary location for trade. • Most of the trade had ended by the 1300s. • 3 Major Empires developed along the route.

The () was settled by nomadic, militaristic Turks pushed out of by the in the . Ottomans formed military societies under the leadership of an and raided territories of the “infidels” (non- ). Success largely based on . The Ottomans generally acted kindly toward the people they conquered, by ruling through local officials, and often

Osman I, the first Emir improved peasants’ lives. Powerful Spur Dramatic Expansion Mehmet II (the Conqueror) conquered in 1451, ending Christian and threatening in .

Suleiman I (the Lawgiver), helped the Ottoman Empire reach its greatest size, stretching from Hungary to .

His armies advanced into central Europe. Bosnia’s population is still Muslim today.

The Hagia Sophia in Constantinople () Ottoman Social Structure A military state with a complex bureaucracy The guards were , Christian boys taken from conquered Christian lands, castrated, and then turned into highly trained, elite soldiers. »What advantage did this serve? The Ottomans granted freedom of worship, particularly to and Jews.

Young Greek boys being converted to and becoming Janissaries Suleiman’s Achievements

Ottoman leaders followed Islamic . Suleiman simplified taxes and bureaucracy, which made life better. Art, , and literature also flourished.

Suleiman’s Decline of the Ottoman Empire Suleiman chose a weak heir which set up the eventual downfall of the empire. Spain and Italy destroyed Selim’s Turkish fleet in 1571, limiting Ottoman military influence. Massive instability and weak, ignorant sultans resulted from power plays for throne The power of the Ottomans slowly declined. It officially dissolved after World War I. Question: What factors allowed the Ottomans to grow to be so powerful? The Safavids

Located at center of Persian (Iranian) segment of Silk Roads. = Persian for . In 1500s, Shah Abbas the Great revived the glory of ancient Persia and made his capital the international center of the silk trade.

The Safavid Court with Shah Abbas Cultural Diffusion The golden age of the Safavids was under Shah Abbas. He established relations with Europe, and industry and art flourished because of it Persian carpets (still popular today) were elaborate and became a national industry

A Safavid Painting Safavid Military Power

Safavids were Shi’a Muslims (the branch that claimed its leaders were descendants of ) Shah Isma’il became a religious and killed anyone who did not convert to Shi’a Islam (including Sunni Muslims). Incompetent rulers allowed the to be conquered.

Mughal Empire (1526 – 1857)

The Mughals were a Muslim people who invaded India from the North Their empire was eventually unified in 1526 by Babar. He led 12,000 troops to victory against an army of 100,000 commanded by the of • He established capital at Kabul (in present )

Babar watching his gardeners at work The Golden Age of Akbar was a Muslim who firmly defended religious freedom “His aim was to achieve a Hindu-Muslim equilibrium based on the brotherhood of mankind with no one holding the ultimate truth” These co-existed: Islam Hindu Jain Sikh

(Scattered Christian and Jewish Akbar communities on the coast) The Golden Age of Akbar A genius at cultural blending. A new language, Urdu, arose - a mixture of , Persian and Hindi (Urdu is the language of modern .) and Christians held high offices. Affordable taxes. To honor the non-violent Jain religion, he banned killing animals during their festivals. Art, literature, and architecture flourished. Intricate stonework.

Akbar and Nur Jahan Akbar’s son Jahangir succeeded him as ruler. He rejected Akbar’s religious tolerance by attacking His wife Nur Jahan ran the empire because he was such a weak ruler She designed the clothes that still dominate Indian fashion.

Jahangir His wife Mumtaz Mahal died while giving birth to their 14th child. He built the as her because of his love. Cost of angered many of his people. One son imprisoned him in her tomb and killed his older brother so he could become the shah. Empires Expand 1627-1707

Campaign for the southern tip of the = Strained relations between Hindus and Muslims = Social unrest

Shah Jahan’s Son

• Shah Jahan’s son rigidly enforced Islamic , outlawing drinking and gambling. • He tried to erase all of the gains the Hindus had made under Akbar. • Uprisings by the Hindus and the Sikhs over Muslim intolerance and high taxes were a constant problem.

Aurangzeb The Decline of the Mughals Wars and extravagant made empire economically weak. European traders from Portugal, England, the Netherlands, and France were slowly building their own power in the .

• Question: What were the major factors that led to the rise and fall of the Mughal Empire? Essential Question

• What factors allowed Muslim empires to grow and flourish between 1300 to 1700? The growth of the Muslim empires was due to their centralized location for trade between the Europe and Asia. Some empires created religious and cultural tolerance among diverse groups.