THE OTTOMANS, SAFAVIDS, MUGHALS

Introduction

-The three empires emerge from the “Turco-Mongol imperial identity”

-They overcome political barrier after the Abbasids

-Centralized durable polities

-known as “gunpower empires, Islamic empires, patrimonial-bureaucratic”

-The three relate to each other more than they relate to their predecessor

Gunpowder Empires

-Hodgson and McNeil: argue the political strengthening results from the use of firearms

-Khan: claims the use of firearms links to centralization

-Military plays a major role

-The Safavids prove that artillery plays a role in the establishment of a Muslim empire

Islamic and Muslims Empires

-These empires were not just solely based on religion

-Some rulers did want Quranic precepts (the central religious text of Islam)

-The goal was security, prosperity, and longevity of their dynasties

-Islam was never a state religion

-Even non-Muslims played a role in this society and in polity

Connections and Comparisons

-The 3 empires share: political, religious, literary, intellectual, and cultural traditions

    -This was due to travel routes

    -Islam played a role in influencing these

    -Each region still had its unique traditions

-The empires connect Islam to a “broadly connected global system”

Polity

-1453- 1526: the three empires were formed during this time

-share Turkic political traditions, aspire to follow in the path of the Mongols, and borrowed Persian ideas

-Different political principles

-Mughals: the were wars of succession after the death of a monarch

-Ottomans and Safavids: developed systems containing succession rivalries

-Ruler of the Ottoman, Mehmet II left an even stronger, centralized state, becomes a military leader

-Ruler of the Safavid, Shan Abbas becomes military strong, recapture Iraq, does economically well

-Ruler of the Mughal, Akbar: under his rule becomes stable, populous, prosperous, “peace with all.”

Economy

-3 main goals: wealth in order to maintain the ruling class, funding for further conquests and future ones, purchase and get art along with architecture

-Taxes placed on agriculture, commodity production and commerce

-Main income came from agriculture

-Ottoman would tax non-Muslims, (to encourage commerce)

-Waqfs: charitable, religious endowments

-Safavid: used income from cash crops to trade

-Ottoman: surplus trade with Europe, not much with Iran and India

-Mughals: influx of European silver from the Ottoman, Safavid, and Europeans

-Problems in any region would affect all other regions

-Ottoman’s reliance increases expenses, shell out money for naval campaigns

-Lost revenue from lands

-Weak center caused provincial notables to become independent

-Safavids and Mughals benefit from European commerce

-Mughals: hand jagirs (land grants) to officers, changed assigned retainers of empire every year

-Ottomans: gave timar (land grants) to private soldiers, close connection to native place

Religion and Culture

-Timurids: Sunni Muslims

-Mughals: became practical affiliation of rulers, comes in conflict with popular belief

Sufism: reconstruction

-Confessionalization- different faith practice, propagate their religion

-All empires had common literary and artistic cultures

-Architect: imperial forts, palaces and tombs, religious masjids, madrasas, maktabs, khagans

- Poetry was derived from Iran with a touch of European

Warfare

-Mughals and Ottoman emerged out of war band, used infantry, cavalry, artillery, firearms

Engaged in open battle and sieges

-Gained political power through control

Decline

-Ottoman: affected by external development

-Safavids: internal failure; weak military, low in money, inefficient ruler

-Mughals: internal failure; Aurangzeb (ruler), social religious and political change