Gunpowder Empires, 1450-1750, Units 3 & 4

What were the three major Gunpowder empires/Muslim empires during the period 1450-1750?

Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal

Describe the characteristics of the Ottoman empire.

-Inspired and sustained by Sunni Islam

-Brought down the Byzantine empire (Constantinople)

-Frequent conflict with the Safavids, who were neighbors and were Shia

Describe the characteristics of the Safavid empire.

-Persia

-Safavid shahs ruled over one of the gunpowder empires

-First significant Shia/Shi'ite led empire

-Ruled to the east of the Ottomans

Where was the Mughal territory?

India; nearly all of the Indian subcontinent and large parts of Afghanistan

What are the geographic regions of the Ottoman empire?

Middle East; Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, former Byzantine lands (the Balkans in Europe)

Describe the rivalry between the Sunni (Ottomans & Mughals) and Shi'ites (Safavids)

Fought over territorial and religious differences

Describe the development of Sikhism in India.

-Began in Punjab area of South Asia, around the Mughal period

-Monotheistic (one God)

-reincarnation and karma

What is jizya?

a tax on people who were not Muslim

Devshirme

The system by which boys from Christian communities (in the Balkans/southeast Europe) were taken by the Ottoman state to serve as Janissaries.

What were Janissaries?

elite units that made up the Ottoman Sultan's household troops, bodyguards, and the first modern standing army Europe. drafted by the Ottomans in a process called Devshirme

How did the treatment of non-Muslims change with the ruler Aurangzeb?

He hated heretical Muslims as well as other religious practitioners and began making their lives a living nightmare

-He restored the non-Muslim poll tax

-Led to tensions in later Mughal empire between Muslim ruler's subjects vs. Sikhs and Hindus

What is the Taj Mahal?

An ivory-white mausoleum built to house the body of the Sultan's wife. As a monumental structure, it demonstrates the power of the Mughal state as well

The Mughal Empire

What Indian empire existed in the shaded area during the period of 1450 to 1750?

The Ottoman Empire

What empire extended from the Balkans in Europe, the Mid. East, and N. Africa during the period 1450-1750?

The Balkans & the Ottomans

What is this area of southeastern Europe called? Who controlled it during the period 1450-1750?

Safavid Empire

What empire existed in Persia during the period 1450-1750?

How did Mughals treat the Hindus in the early Mughal period?

they were treated with toleration and the jizya tax was removed. later Mughal rulers began persecuting Hindus and Sikhs, which only caused more division and weakened the Mughal state over time