THE ISLAMIC EMPIRES, 1500–1800
At its peak in the sixteenth
century, the Ottoman Empire
consisted of lands in western
Asia, North Africa, and
Europe. The Ottomans
contributed new designs to
world art, as seen in their
magnificent mosques. They
also practiced religious
tolerance with their subjects.
THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
Now, read pages
362-363 for details.
Osman
Osman leads bands of semi-nomadic Turks to become ghazi: Muslim
religious warriors
Ottoman Expansion
Captures Anatolia with light cavalry and volunteer infantry
 Later, heavy cavalry
In Balkans, forces Christian families to surrender young boys to military
service: devshirme
 Often grew up to be exceptionally loyal Janissaries (define this word with the text.)
THE DYNASTIC STATE
The Dynastic State
Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal empires based on military conquest
The Emperors and Islam
Prestige of dynasty dependent on piety and military prowess of
the ruler
 Ghazi ideals resonated with Turkish, Mongolian traditions
Steppe Traditions
Autocratic authority of rulers reflects steppe traditions
 Issuance of unilateral decrees
Succession issues a problem
Now, read pages
363-365 for details.
THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
Mehmed the Conqueror
Capture of Constantinople, 1453
 Renamed as Istanbul
 The attack began on April 6, 1453, as the Ottomans bombarded
Constantinople with massive cannons hurling stone balls weighing up
to 1,200 pounds each. The Byzantines fought desperately for almost
two months to save Constantinople. Finally, on May 29 – it fell!
Laid foundation for centralized, absolute monarchy
 Army faced no serious rival
THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
Süleyman the Magnificent (r. 1520-1566)
was also a great military leader, who led his army
on 13 major military campaigns. He doubled the
size of the Ottoman Empire. Europeans called him
the "Grand Turk" and the "Magnificent.“
 Besieges Vienna, 1529
 Develops naval power
was known as the "Lawgiver." Eager to provide justice
for his subjects, he reorganized the government,
regulated the laws of the empire.
Be sure to define these words: sultan, grand vizier,
pasha.
What are some details we
can add about each?
THE SAFAVID EMPIRE
Now, read pages
366-369.
The Safavids
Ismail, young military leader, r. 1501–1524
Orphaned; parents killed by enemies
Becomes shah, proclaims official religion of realm
Twelver Shiism
Shah Ismail and successors trace ancestry back to
Safi al-Din (1252–1334), Sufi thinker
Empire “Safavid” after him
THE SAFAVID EMPIRE
Twelver Shiism
Twelve infallible imams after Muhammad
Twelfth imam in hiding, ready to take
power
Wore distinctive red hat, called qizilbash
(“red heads”)
Qizilbash believe that Ismail was hidden
imam, that he would make them invincible
in battle
THE SAFAVID EMPIRE
Shah Abbas the Great
Revitalizes weakened Safavid empire
Reforms administration and military
Expands trade
Military expansion
 Under Shāh ‘Abbās, who ruled from 1588 to 1629, the Ṣafavids reached the high point
of their glory. Similar to the Ottoman Empire, administrators were trained to run the
kingdom. Shāh ‘Abbās also strengthened his army, which he outfitted with the latest
weapons.
ECONOMIC AND MILITARY DECLINE
Economic Difficulties
High cost of maintaining military and administrative network bring on decline
Expansion slows
 Loss of control over remote provinces
Military Decline
European military technology advances faster than Ottomans can purchase it
Cultural Conservatism
Islamic empires less interested in outside world, swiftly fall behind in
technological development