World History / Unit 5: Empires of Africa, Asia and the Americas
5.5 The Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal Empires
Notes
From the 1400s to the 1700s, three Muslim gunpowder empires used cannons and firearms to build large states.
- Ottoman Empire: founded by Osman about 1300. Mehmed II captured Constantinople in 1453; it became Istanbul, the Ottoman capital.
- Suleiman the Magnificent (ruled 1520 to 1566) expanded the empire into southeastern Europe and reformed its laws. Elite soldiers called janissaries were taken as Christian boys, converted and trained.
- Ottomans allowed religious communities (millets) to keep their own laws and leaders.
- Safavid Empire in Persia (Iran) made Shia Islam the state religion, which caused conflict with the Sunni Ottomans. Shah Abbas made Isfahan a beautiful capital.
- Mughal Empire in India: Babur founded it in 1526. Akbar (ruled 1556 to 1605) practiced religious tolerance and ended the tax on non-Muslims. Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his wife. Aurangzeb reversed tolerance, causing revolts.
Practice
Why are the Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal empires called "gunpowder empires"?
Firearms gave their armies a major advantage.
Which ruler is best known for religious tolerance in Mughal India?
Akbar welcomed people of different faiths and ended the jizya tax.
A major source of conflict between the Ottomans and Safavids was that:
Religious differences added to competition over territory.
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