Chapter 28Islamic Empires

I. In 1635 Shah Jahan, the emperor of Mughal India, took his seat on the Peacock Throne
II. Taj Mahal. Built as a tomb for Shah Jahan’s beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died during
childbirth in 1631
III. Mughal realm was not the only well-organized Islamic empire of early modern times
IV. Ottoman dynasty ruled powerful empire that expanded from its base in Anatolia to embrace
much of eastern Europe, Egypt, and north Africa
V. Safavid dynasty never expanded far beyond Persia
VI. All three Islamic empires of early modern times had Turkish ruling dynasties
VII. Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals came from nomadic, Turkish-speaking peoples of central
Asia who conquered the settled agricultural lands of Anatolia, Persia, and India, respectively
VIII. During sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries
IX. Islamic empires made little investment in economic and technological development
X. By mid-eighteenth century the Safavid empire had collapsed, and Ottoman and Mughal
realms were rapidly falling under European influence
XI. Formation of Islamic Empires
1. Ottoman Empire
a. Ottoman empire was an unusually successful frontier state
b. Ottoman derived from Osman Bey,
c. founder of the dynasty that continued in unbroken succession from 1289 until the
dissolution of the empire in 1923
d. Osman was chief (bey) of a band of seminomadic Turks who migrated to
northwestern Anatolia in thirteenth century
e. Followers sought to become ghazi, (muslim religious warriors)
f. “Ghazi is in the instrument of the religion of Allah, a servant of God who purifies the
earth from the filth of polytheism,; the Ghazi is the sword of God, he is the protector
and the refuge of the believers”
g. If he becomes a martyr in the ways of God, do not believe that he has died-
h. Anatolian city of Bursa became capital of Ottoman empire
i. Around 1352 they established foothold in Europe
j. Ottoman military leaders initially organized ghazi recruits into two forces: a light
cavalry and a volunteer infantry
k. Added professional cavalry force equipped with heavy armor and financed by land
grants
l. Through institution known as devshirme, the Ottomans required Christian population
1289-1928 Ottoman dynasty
1451-1481 Reign of Mehmed the Conqueror
1453 Ottoman conquest of Constaninople
1501-1524 Reign of Sah Ismail
1501-1722 Safavid dynasty
1514 Battle of Chaldiran
1520-1566 Reign of Suleyman the Magnificent
1526-1858 Mughal dynasty
1556-1605 Reign of Akbar
1588-1629 Reign of Shah Abbas the Great
1659-1707 Reign of Aurangzeb