New Asian Empire Section 1 Chapter 17 Section 1 - The Ottoman and Safavid Empires Main Idea The Ottoman and Safavid empires flourished under powerful rulers who expanded the territory and cultural influence of their empires. Reading Focus How did the Ottomans build a powerful empire, and what were their cultural achievements? How was the Safavid Empire founded and enlarged, and what cultural elements did it combine? The Ottoman Empire Mongol conquests of the 1200s ripped apart the Seljuk Turk empire. Small, independent Turkish states formed in the region. In the late 1200s, a great chieftain arose from one of the states and went on to found the powerful Ottoman Empire. Growth of the Empire Early 1300s, Anatolia bordered by declining Christian Byzantine Empire to west, Muslim empires to east; to north, Russia Turks of Anatolia mainly Muslim, nomadic, militaristic society Ottomans Nomadic people, ghazis, warriors for the Islamic faith Ghazi leader Osman I had built strong state in Anatolia by 1300 Osman, descendants came to be known as Ottomans to Westerners Their power grew quickly, and by the mid-1300s the Ottomans controlled much of Anatolia.
Sultans Expanding Empire Military Might Invasion and Decline Osman s son, Orhan I, became second Ottoman ruler; declared himself sultan, Arabic for ruler Under Orhan, later sultans, Ottoman forces swept into Balkans, attacked Byzantine Empire 1361, took Adrianople, second most important Byzantine city; renamed Edirne, made it capital By early 1400s, Ottomans controlled much of Balkan Peninsula Military key to Ottoman success Ottomans enslaved Christian boys from conquered areas Boys converted to Islam, trained as elite soldiers, Janissaries; loyal only to sultan Practice called blood tax by many Christians Ottomans also adopted gunpowder weapons Now possible to take cities defended by heavy walls Despite strong military, Ottomans experienced setback Central Asian conqueror Timur attacked Because of leg injury, known as Timur the Lame; in Europe, Tamerlane In 1402 army crushed Ottoman forces at Battle of Ankara Timur soon withdrew The Ottoman empire was left in shambles Ruler was dead Bloody power struggle followed, weakened empire Fall of Constantinople Expansion period Following period of decline, spectacular phase of expansion began Mid-1400s, reign of Mehmed II, strong military leader Mehmed II determined to take Constantinople, Byzantine capital Bosporus Strait Ottomans had captured lands around Constantinople, but not city itself Constantinople controlled Bosporus Strait, trade route between Asia, Europe Control of waterway provided great wealth and divided Ottoman Empire Mehmed the Conqueror 1453, Ottomans led major land, sea assault against Constantinople Used massive cannons to batter city s walls; city fell after two month siege Byzantine Empire no longer existed; Mehmed became known as the Conqueror; claimed center of eastern Christianity for Islam Pillaging the City Mehmed made Constantinople his capital, named Istanbul Allowed soldiers to pillage city for three days Many residents killed or enslaved Then rebuilt Constantinople into Muslim city Rebuilding the City Mehmed had palaces, mosques built Turned Hagia Sophia, Orthodox Christian cathedral, into mosque Moved people from across empire to repopulate city Soon city again major trade center with people of many cultures
Expansion and Threats Height of the Empire Suleyman the Lawgiver Expansion continued Met new threat in Persia the Safavid Empire In 1514 Ottoman forces crushed the Safavids at the Battle of Chaldiran Next swept through Syria, into Egypt in North Africa Soon after captured Mecca, Medina, holy cities of Islam Empire reached height under Suleyman I, known in West as Suleyman the Magnificent During Suleyman s forty-six year reign, Ottoman forces pushed through Hungary up to Vienna Navy gained control of eastern Mediterranean, North African coast Impressive domestic achievements 1. Reformed the tax system 2. Overhauled government bureaucracy 3. Improved the court system 4. Revised the legal code Society and Culture Rule of Sultans Ottoman sultan ruled over vast, diverse empire; had immense power, issued all laws, made all major decisions Numerous officials advised sultan considered his slaves; had to be loyal to sultan, practice Islam, follow Ottoman customs Classes Privileged ruling class one of two classes second class, everyone else Included people of many cultures, languages, religions Ottomans governed diverse subjects with tolerance Religious Freedom Non-Muslims had to pay heavy taxes, endure restrictions; did not have to serve in military Muslims had to join military, but did not pay taxes Religious freedom allowed; some groups required to form millets, or religious communities; each millet followed own laws, chose own leaders Great Buildings Mixing of peoples created rich Ottoman culture, reached peak under Suleyman Magnificent mosques, palaces, many with Byzantine influence Rich Culture Empire s Decline After Suleyman s reign, empire declined One cause was method of dealing with heirs New sultans killed their brothers to eliminate rivals until the 1600s Mosque of Suleyman Sinan, master designer of Mosque of Suleyman, Istanbul Graceful solution of problem of combining round dome, rectangular building Inexperienced Sultans Heirs locked in royal palace; released to become sultan but had no experience Despite periodic reform efforts, series of weak sultans resulted Empire lasted to early 1900s
The Safavid Empire East of the Ottomans, Persian Muslims called the Safavids began building an empire around 1500. The Safavids soon came into conflict with the Ottomans and other Muslims. The conflict related to Islam s split into rival Sunni and Shia sects. The Safavids were Shia; most other Muslims were Sunnis. Growth of the Empire 14-year old Esma il, founder of Safavid Empire Father died fighting Sunni Muslims 1501, took up sword, joined by father s supporters, led army in Persian conquests Official Religion Gained control of what is now Iran, part of Iraq Took Persian title of shah, king of Safavid Empire Made Shiism official religion Advisers concerned Persian Tradition Sunnis majority in empire Blending of Shia religion, Persian tradition gave Safavid state unique identity Laid foundation for national culture of present day Iran Esma il and Shiism Shiism sharply distinguished the Safavid state from their Sunni neighbors: the Ottomans to west, Uzbeks to northeast Esma il dreamed of converting all Sunnis to Shiism Battled Uzbeks with some success; suffered crushing defeat by Ottomans in Battle of Chaldiran, 1514 Safavid army was no match for Ottomans superior gunpowder weapons Abbas Ottoman Model Culture and Economy Golden Age Abbas achievements produced golden age in Safavid culture Brought in Chinese potters to improve quality of glazed tile, ceramics Safavids created public spaces with graceful arches, lush gardens Colorful tiles, domes decorated mosques During 1600s capital of Esfahan one of world s magnificent cities 1524, Esma il died; later shahs struggled to keep empire together 1588, greatest Safavid leader, Abbas became shah Reformed government, strengthened military, acquired modern gunpowder weapons Copied Ottoman model, had slave youths captured in Russia trained to be soldiers Under Abbas, Safavids defeated Uzbeks, gained back land lost to Ottomans Major Muslim Civilization Culture helped economy; Abbas encouraged traditional products Hand-woven Persian carpets became important industry, export Trade goods brought wealth, helped establish Safavid Empire as major Muslim civilization Safavid Empire lasted until 1722
New Asian Empire Section 2 Main Idea Reading Focus The Mughal Empire Mughal rulers created a powerful empire in which military might and artistic culture flourished. How was Muslim rule first established in India? What was the new empire created by Babur and Akbar like? What achievements were made by the rulers who held power at the height of the Mughal Empire? Muslim Rule in India After the fall of the Gupta Empire in the 500s, India broke apart into a number of small kingdoms. The Arrival of Islam During period of small kingdoms, Arab Muslim traders arrived in India for first time Traders sailed to ports on west coast in search of goods such as spices Over time, traders settled in India, lived peacefully beside Hindus, Buddhists Muslim Raiders Next Muslims to arrive not so peaceful Early 700s, Muslim raiders invaded, conquered region of Sind, in what is now Pakistan 300 years later, Muslims poured into north India from Afghanistan By 1200s, most of northern India under Muslim control Delhi Sultanate Once Muslims took control of north India, established new government for region based in city of Delhi Government became known as Delhi sultanate Rulers in sultanate tolerant, allowed traditional customs, religions Blending of Cultures - Cultural Diffusion! Rulers also worked to spread Muslim culture through India Invited artists, scholars from other parts of Islamic world to Delhi New culture formed, blending Muslim and Indian elements Example: new language, Urdu, formed from combination of Arabic, Sanskrit
A New Empire The Delhi sultanate remained strong for about 300 years. By the early 1500s, its power was weakening. This weakening left India open to invasion. Babur Young Central Asian conqueror named Zahir ud- Din, better known as Babur, the tiger, took advantage of India s weakness Mughal Empire Tried, failed to create empire in Central Asia Next turned to India By 1526, had defeated rulers of Delhi, founded Mughal Empire Wealth, Power Name comes from Persian word Mogul for Mongol Mughals reigned as India s first great Muslim empire Great civilization, known for wealth, power Akbar the Great Babur s Grandson Babur died shortly after conquest of India, task of organizing what he conquered fell to descendants Most done by grandson, Akbar the Great Diverse Population Akbar took throne at age 13, but became greatest of all Mughal rulers Realized India had diverse population, which could lead to breakdown of empire; did everything he could to win people s loyalty Expanding Rule Akbar married daughter of local noble to win noble s support Brought sons of other nobles to live at court Did not hesitate to fight to prevent rebellion 1605, Akbar died; at time, Mughals ruled most of north India, much of interior Akbar s Achievements New Asian Empire Section 2 Religious Tolerance Akbar worked to unify diverse empire by promoting religious tolerance Held that no one religion could provide all answers to life s problems Did not want to discourage people from practicing any religion, discriminate against anyone for their beliefs Reforms Abolished taxes placed on non- Muslims by earlier rulers Appointed Hindus to several influential positions in government Encouraged discussions, debates among Muslims, Hindus, Christians, people of other religions Firm Grip on Finances Established centralized government that gave him supreme civil, military authority over his empire Reformed tax system, appointed officials to oversee it Majority of officials from outside Mughal Empire
Height of the Mughal Empire Jahangir Rule Sikhism Babur, Akbar laid foundation for powerful empire Rulers who followed built upon foundation, raised Mughal India to new heights of power, wealth Akbar s son, Jahangir, intelligent, impatient to rule, rebelled against father; later reconciled In 1605 became emperor after Akbar s death Ruthless start, but good ruler Continued religious tolerance; supported arts; adopted Persian influences into Indian society Acceptance of Persian customs inspired by Persianborn wife, Nur Jahan Powerful woman who ruled for several years while husband ill During reign, Jahangir came into conflict with religious group, Sikhs Some Sikhs had supported rebellion against Jahangir Sikhism, blended elements of Islam and Hinduism Like Muslims, believe in one God, who created world, who has no physical form Unlike Muslims, who believe in afterlife, believe in reincarnation Believe goal of existence to be freed from cycle of rebirth, attain unity with God Do not practice rituals from the earlier religions Shah Jahan Jahangir s son and successor, Shah Jahan shared his father s love of literature and art. During his reign the Mughal Empire experienced a cultural golden age. Taj Mahal Symbol of Mughal Majesty Greatest example of Mughal architecture, Taj Mahal built during his reign Designed by Persian architects, displays elements of Indian, Persian, Muslim architectural styles Built as tomb for Shah Jahan s wife Shah Jahan also built new capital for India at Delhi At heart, chamber that held magnificent Peacock Throne Flanked by two sculpted peacocks, encrusted with gold, diamonds, emeralds, other gems The cost of building monuments such as the Taj Mahal and the palaces of Delhi was enormous. Place where Peacock Throne once was, in the Agra Fort.
Taxes Needed funds to pay for monuments Shah Jahan imposed heavy taxes on people Demanded half of all crops grown in the country Led to hardship, famine for many http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=mzhjbchnkxw&feature=related Wars Series of wars against India s neighbors also added to Shah Jahan s need for money Many wars fought in name of Islam against Christians and Hindus Unlike father, grandfather, Shah Jahan was Muslim who did not practice religious tolerance Aurangzeb Power Struggle 1657, Shah Jahan grew terribly ill Sons began to maneuver to take throne Soon war broke out between them Succession Shah Jahan unexpectedly recovered but son Aurangzeb captured him After locking father in prison, killed all rivals Brought head of brother in box to show father; then declared himself emperor Reign Early in reign, concerned with expanding India s borders Empire reached greatest size at this time Later, Aurangzeb turned more to domestic affairs Muslim Views Worked to impose own strict religious views on society Issued strict decrees about morality, personal behavior Crushing Protesters Crowds of Shia, Sufi Muslims gathered to protest actions Aurangzeb ordered soldiers mounted on elephants to crush them Domestic Affairs Religious Persecution Persecuted Hindus, Sikhs Taxed them, forbade them high positions in government Destroyed their temples God of All Restrictions, persecution led many to rebel One wrote: God is the God of all mankind not the God of Muslims alone.
Decline of the Mughals Civil War Power and Territory Loss Aurangzeb enlarged Mughal empire, however his actions marked beginning of its end Due to harsh measures of regime, frequent rebellions broke out in later 1600s When Aurangzeb died, rival claims to throne led to civil war Soon invaders poured into India from north Mughals continued to rule for about 150 more years, but held little power, controlled far less territory Eventually India fell under colonial sway of British as part of their global empire