The document summarizes three Islamic empires that emerged in the post-Mongol era: the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires. It notes that all three were "gunpowder empires" that utilized new military technologies like cannons. It also states that they shared some similarities in their political structures, with absolute rulers who held both political and religious authority. However, the empires were also rivals at times, as demonstrated by a hostile letter between the Ottoman Sultan and Safavid ruler. Their social structures also shared the common element of slavery.

1. Ottoman, Safavid, &
Mughal Empires

2. Do you remember?
• By the 1100s, the Islamic Empire had
split into several different caliphates . .
. centered in Spain, Egypt, and the
Middle East.
• The Seljuk Turks were the group in
control of the Middle East by the 1100s.
• The Mongols invaded and killed the
Seljuk caliph of Baghdad.

3. The Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Turks started as soldiers
and slaves of the Seljuks. After the
Seljuks were defeated by the
Mongols, the Ottoman Turks gained
power after the Mongols left.

4. • The Ottomans were Sunni
Muslims who built one of the
wealthiest and most powerful
Empires of the world at its time.
• It was the dominating power of
the Mediterranean.

6. • They were all Military Empires &
“Gunpowder Empires”

7. The Safavid Empire was Shia Muslim
and a rival of the Ottoman Empire.

9. The Mughal Empire
was created by
descendents of
Turks and Mongols
who built an empire
in which a Muslim
minority controlled
a Hindu majority.

10. Ottoman, Safavid, & Mughal Empires
Were all “gunpowder empires”

11. Ottoman Cannon 1600s

12. Similarity in Political Structure…
• All had a centralized government with an
absolute ruler who had both political and
religious authority.

13. Evidence . . .
• Suleiman, Abbas I, Akbar were the
absolute rulers at the height of each empire
and were contemporaries.

14. The rulers had sweet „staches!

15. But these Islamic empires weren’t
necessarily friends…
Letter from the Ottoman Sultan to the
Safavid ruler (1514)
“You have deserted the path of salvation
and the sacred commandments. . . The
ulama (Islamic judges) have pronounced a
sentence of death against you, perjurer and
blasphemer.”

16. At times they allied with
Christian states.

18. A similarity in social class structure
• Each had Slavery as an institution
– nonMuslims were slaves but the
status of slaves varied widely
Evidence:
Concubines
of India

19. Evidence: the
Devshirme system of
the Ottoman Empire

20. One interpretation . . .
• Letter from a European ambassador to the
Ottoman Empire…1550s
• “Just as we were leaving the city, we were
met by wagon-loads of wretched Christian
slaves who were being led to horrible
servitude…I could scarcely restrain my
tears in pity for the plight of the Christian
population.”