The document provides an overview of three major Islamic empires during the 1500-1800 period: the Ottoman Empire based in Turkey, the Safavid Empire based in Persia, and the Mughal Empire based in South Asia. It discusses the origins and expansion of each empire, key rulers like Suleiman the Magnificent, Shah Abbas, and Akbar, and cultural contributions such as architecture. The empires shared elements of being based on military conquest and steppe Turkish traditions but had religious diversity within their populations.

1. Modern World History
Lecture: the Islamic World
Professor Chee
Play call to prayer : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oolV-slw_AM

2. Modern World History
Lecture: the Islamic World
Professor Chee
Questions to consider:
Did Islamic empires decline? If
so, why? Think about both
internal and external factors that
bring about this change.
Play call to prayer : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oolV-slw_AM

3. Islamic empires, 1500-1800
Ottoman (Turks), Safavid (Persia), Mughal (India) Empires
Origins with the Turkish speaking nomads of Central Asia

4. Brief Introduction to the Origins of Islam
Islam means
“submission” to
God, or Allah
Muhammad (570-632)
“seal of the
prophets”
Tokapi Palace, Istanbul, 1595

5. 622 – The hijra
flight or migration to
Medina
First umma – Muslim
community

6. 632–Muhammad’s Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)

7. Ka’ba
o a reflection of a
house of worship in
heaven on earth, in
Mecca
o built by Abraham
and his son
Ishmael), according
to Muslims

8. Abraham &
Ishmael:
The Sacrifice of
Ishmael
(versus Isaac) in the Judaeo-Christian story
unknown date, Shiraz

9. Hagar &
Ishmael
Abrahamic
Tradition

10. 650s Compilation of the Quran or Koran
LACMA Museum

11. Sunni & Shia:
Two Major Muslim Groups
Sunni – majority – argues that the leadership
can be held by any true believer
Shi’i/Shia – caliph/leadership must be in the
hands of the family of Muhammad
Abu Bakr chosen over Ali, Muhammad’s cousin
& brother-in-law, creating the Sunni/Shii
split

12. The Expansion of Islam, 632-733 C.E.

13. 660-750 Umayyad Dynasty – Damascus (Syria)
Empire spread because of their tolerance for Jews & Christians,
but they had to pay a tax called Jizya

14. Umayyad Mosque, Damascus, Syria (c. 705-15)

15. 711 Moors (North African Muslims)
invade Iberia (Spain) Al-Andalus

16. Who were the Moors?
“Berbers” from North Africa who became Muslims called
the “Islamization of Africa”
Stanley and the White Heroes in Africa (H. B.
Scammel, 1890)Modern picture

17. Eighth century – Cordoba, Spain, a Great Medieval City,
Moors built the Mezquita

18. Cordoba - Mezquita

19. Cordoba - Mezquita

20. Cordoba – Moor Rule

21. Cordoba – Moor rule

22. Cordoba – Jewish Quarter – Moor Rule

23. Cordoba –Mezquita/Cathedral Reconquista 1236

24. 750-1258 Abbasid Dynasty - Baghdad
c. 800

25. 750-1258 Abbasid Dynasty - Baghdad
c. 1210

26. The Crusades 1098-1492
Europeans waged a set of religious wars against the Muslim,
Jewish, and Protestants in Southwest Asia & Europe

27. Who are the Turks?
Nomads from Central and Western Asia

28. Turks
o Nomads from Central Asia
(agriculture not possible)
o clan-based, fluid
governance
o trade – long distance
caravan routes
o military – excellent
o Hired to serve in the
Abbasid army
Seljuk Royal Figure – Twelfth century?

29. Turkish empires & neighbors c. 1210 C.E
The Ottoman Empire (1289-1923)

30. Seljuk Turk Ruler
Tughril Beg Seizes
Baghdad
1055 – Seljuk Turks rule with
Abbasid puppet rulers
(Turks converted to Islam in
the tenth century because
of Abbasid influence)
1071 - Turks start
conquering the Byzantine
(Roman) empire (with the
Battle of Manzikert)
Tughril tower

31. Tamerlane or Timur the Lame (c. 1336-1405)
Turkish conqueror with
Mongol roots
oBorrowed Khan’s model to
conquer Asia, Anatolia, India,
and parts of China in the
Fourteenth Century

32. Tamerlane's Empire c. 1405

33. After Tamerlane’s Death,
the Empire Falls into Three Parts:
Ottoman (Turkey)
Mughal (India)
Safavid (Persia)

34. Ottoman Empire
1289-1923 Ottoman Empire (Turkey)
1280-1326 Osman Bey – founder of the Osmanli or Ottoman dynasty
1451-1481 r. Mehmed II the Conqueror
1453 Ottoman conquest of Constantinople
Mehmed converts Hagia Sophia to a mosque
1516 Turks conquer Cairo & Egypt
1520-1566 r. Suleyman (Solomon) the Magnificent (& Harem)
1550-57 builds the Suleymaniye or the Grand Mosque of Istanbul
1610s Sultan Ahmed builds the Blue Mosque or the Sultan Ahmed
Mosque – Turkey’s national mosque
1680s Ottomans pushed back from Vienna, stops Ottoman expansion
1800s Ottoms lose Greece, Serbia & Egypt
1908“Proclamation of the Young Turks”
Powerful empire, with great contributions to art & architecture

35. Osman Bey starts the Ottoman Empire
o Osman Bey (1258-1324)
charismatic leader from
Anatolia starts the empire
o Followers known as Osmanlis
(Ottomans) or
o Ghazis – warriors of the faith
o Declares independence from
Abbasid Saljuq sultan in 1299
o Attacks Byzantine (Roman)
empire w slave troops

36. Ottoman Conquests
1350s Ottomans conquer parts of Europe, the Balkans - Peasants unhappy
with Byzantines & welcome the Ottomans

37. Mehmed II Captures Constantinople, 1453
Play Guillaume DuFay 2-13
Lamentatio sanctae Matris
Ecclesiae
Constantinopolitanae
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvYGeiKw_zo
Sultan Mehmed II (“Mehmed the Conqueror”) 1432-81

38. Ottomans renamed the city Istanbul,
formerly Constantinople, Byzantion

39. Hagia Sophia, Constantinople
(originally built in the sixth century)

40. Hagia Sophia – Sixth Century, Roman

41. Suleyman the Magnificent (reign 1520-66)
Expands the Ottoman Empire
with the Egyptian navy
oBecomes a threat to Europe’s
Hapsburgs (Vienna)
oConquers Safavids (Persia)

42. Ottomans Built Stunning Architecture
Süleymaniye Mosque ~1550-57

43. Süleymaniye Mosque ~1550-57

44. Ottomans Built Stunning Architecture
Sultan Ahmed or the Blue Mosque – 1616
(next to the Hagia sophia)

45. Blue Mosque – Blue Tiles

46. The Safavid Empire (Persia)
1501-1722 Safavid dynasty (former Persian empire)
1501-1524 r. of Shah Ismail (founder of the Safavid dynasty &
Twelver shiism)
1588-1629 r. of Shah Abbas the Great (Shah of Shahs, also
known for converting Christians to Islam)

47. The Safavid Empire (Persia)
1501-1722 Safavid dynasty (former Persian empire)
1501-1524 r. of Shah Ismail (founder of the Safavid
dynasty & Twelver shiism)
1514 Battle of Chaldiran
1588-1629 r. of Shah Abbas the Great (Shah of Shahs,
also known for converting Christians to Islam)

48. Shah Ismail Starts the Safavid Empire
with Twelver Shiism as the Official
State Religion, by Force
o young military leader, r. 1501-
1524
o Empire called Safavid, after Safi
al-Din (1252-1334), Sufi thinker
o proclaims official religion:
Twelver Shiism

49. Twelver Shiism (Blend of Shiism &
Turkish militancy)
o Wear distinctive red
hats, called qizilbash
(“red heads”)
o Believe that there are
twelve imams after
Muhammad
o 12th imam in hiding,
ready to take power
one day (maybe
Ismail was the 12th
?)
o Military liked the idea
as they felt respected

50. Shiite Pilgrims at Karbala (near Baghdad,
Iraq) considered a gateway into heaven

51. Ottomans Defeat the Safavids (Persia)
Battle of Chaldiran (1514)
o Selim the Grim
attacks Safavids
o Religiosity –
Safavids refuse to
use gunpowder
o Ottoman
gunpowder
technology allow for
victory

52. Shah Abbas the Great
(r. 1588-1629)
revitalizes weakened
Safavid empire
o Reforms the military
& administration
o Expands trade

53. Shah Abbas Moves Capital to
Isfahan City (Modern Iran)

54. Isfahan
Mosque
• ? Original date?
• Rebuilt at the end of
the 16th
century by
Shah Abbas

55. Isfahan
Courtyard

56. Isfahan
Bazaar
• Shah Abbas
expands trade

57. Grave of Hafez
Beloved 14th
Century
Poet, Shiraz, Safavid
Empire

58. The Mughal Empire or South Asia – Pakistan,
India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan

59. The Mughal Empire or South Asia – Pakistan,
India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan
1526-1858 Mughal dynasty - [moo-guh l] Mo•ghul (mŏŏ-gŭl', mō-) (India)
1498 Portuguese Vasco da Gama arrives at Calicut, Southwest India
1526 Babur (descendant of Tamerland & Genghis Khan) seizes Delhi and
starts the Mughal dynasty
1556-1605 Reign of Akbar
1608 English arrive – Surat, SW India
1628-1657 r. of Emperor Shah Jahan
1639 English build fort at Madras – Southeast India
1648 Shah Jahan builds the Taj Mahal (for his wife)
(English imitation in 1815 – Royal Pavilion @Brighton, after the
British victory over Napoleon at Waterloo)
1659-1707 r. of Aurangzeb
1739 Persians sack Delhi
1757 Battle of Plassey – British East India Company conquer Bengal area
1770s famines lead to 1/3 population loss, under BEIC tax administration
1858 British crown colonizes India

60. Babur the Tiger,
Founds the Mughal Empire
Zahir al-Din Muhammad (Babur
the Tiger), Turk & Mongol
a Chagatai Turk (with ties to
Chinggis Khan & Tamerlane),
oSoldier of fortune
oFounds Mughal (Persian for
Mongol) dynasty
oinvades northern India, 1523, with
gunpowder technology
oConquers Delhi in 1526
oExpands through most of the
Indian subcontinent

61. The Architect of the Mughal Empire,
Akbar & the “Divine Faith”
o Akbar ((r. 1556-1605)
o Created the largest & greatest Indian
Empire in 2000 years,
o conquered the Hindu kingdom of
Vijayanagar
o Created a centralized government
o Wins fear and respect after throwing
Adham Khan, army general out the
window twice
o (Second time just to make sure he was dead)
o Religiously tolerant, promoted
“Divine Faith” with Emperor as ruler,
allowed for syncretic form of Islam &
Hinduism

62. Shah Jahan – Taj Mahal – 1632-50
Tomb for wife, Mumtaz Mahal, 18 year project, 21K workers

63. Aurangzeb Expands the Empire &
Attempts to Crush Hinduism
Aurangzeb (r. 1659-1707)
oExpands Mughal empire
into southern India
oHostile to Hinduism
o Demolished Hindu
temples, replaced with
mosques
o Tax on Hindus to
encourage conversion

64. Common Elements of Ottoman,
Safavid and Mughal Empires
• Empires based on military conquest
(“gunpowder empires”)
• Prestige of dynasty dependent on piety and
military prowess of the ruler
– Close relations with Sufism, ghazi tradition
• Steppe Turkish traditions
– Issuance of unilateral decrees
– Intra-family conflicts over power
• 1595 Sultan massacres 19 brothers (some infants), 15
expectant women (strangulation with silk)

65. Population Growth
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
1500 1600 1700 1800
Mughal
Safavid
Ottoman

66. Religious Diversity
• Ottoman Empire: Christians, Jews
• Safavid Empire: Zoroastrians, Jews,
Christians
• Mughal Empire: Hindus, Jains, Zoroastrians,
Christians, Sikhs
• Mughal Akbar most tolerant
– Received Jesuits politely, but resented Christian
exclusivity
– Enthusiastic about syncretic Sikhism, self-serving
“Divine Faith”

67. Women and Politics
• Women officially banned from political
activity
• But tradition of revering mothers, 1st
wives
from Chinggis Khan
• Süleyman the Magnificent defers to
concubine Hürrem Sultana
– Originally Roxelana, Ukrainian woman
– Convinces husband to murder eldest son in favor
of her own child

68. Agriculture and Trade
• American crops effect less dramatic change in
Muslim empires
– Coffee, tobacco important
– Initial opposition from conservative circles,
fearing lax morality of coffee houses
• Population growth also reflects territorial
additions and losses
• Trade with English East India Company,
French East India Company, and Dutch VOC

69. Status of Religious Minorities
• Non-Muslim protected people: dhimmi
– Payment of special tax: jizya
– Freedom of worship, property, legal affairs
• Ottoman communities: millet system of self-
administration
• Mughal rule: Muslims supreme, but work in
tandem with Hindus
– Under Akbar, jizya abolished
– Reaction under Aurangzeb

70. Capital Cities
• Istanbul cultural capital of Ottoman empire,
massive monumental architecture
• Rededication of Hagia Sofia church as Aya
Sofiya mosque
• Ishafan major Persian city
• Akbar builds magnificent Fatehpur Sikri
– Chooses site without sufficient water supply,
abandoned
– Taj Mahal example of Mughal architecture

71. Deterioration of Imperial
Leadership
• Ottoman princes become lazy through luxury
– Selim the Sot (r. 1566-1574)
– Ibrahim the Crazy (r.1640-1648)
• Attempts to isolate them compounds the problem
• Religious tensions between conservatives and liberals
intensify
– Role of women
• Wahhabi movement in Arabia denounces Ottomans
as unfit to rule
– Force destruction of observatory, printing press
• Safavid Shiites persecute Sunnis, non-Muslims and
even Sufis

72. Economic and Military Decline
• Foreign trade controlled by Europeans
• Military, administrative network
expensive to maintain
– Janissaries mutiny when paid with
debased coinage, 1589, other revolts follow
• Unproductive wars
• European military technology advances
faster than Ottomans can purchase it

73. Cultural Conservatism
• Europeans actively studying Islamic cultures
for purposes of trade, missionary activities
• Islamic empires less interested in outside
world
• Swiftly fell behind in technological
development
– E.g. Jews from Spain establish 1st
printing press in
Anatolia in late 15th
century
– But printing of books in Turkish and Arabic
forbidden until 1729
• Handwritten books preferred, but weak levels of
dissemination

74. Study Guide
Print/Take notes on Study Guide and
think about terms/questions
Questions to consider:
Did Islamic empires decline? If so, why?
Think about both internal and external
factors that bring about this change.