gunpowder empires

world history

years the ottoman empire lasted:

1400's-1918

who were the ottomans?

turks

who did the ottomans replace?

the byzantine empire (romans)

why did constantinople collapse?

ottoman turks conquered constantinople, as it was weakened by black plague and the crusades

where in europe did ottoman expansion stop?

vienna

suleiman the manificent

reigned over the empire from 1520-1566 (when he died); under his rule, the empire reached its highest point of military and political power.

significance of istanbul

where silk roads began; means "full of islam"

ottoman empires effects on european exploration

led to the European age of Exploration → Europeans did not want to pay the Ottoman taxes to use the Silk Roads and looked for new ways to get to India and China

decline of the ottoman empire

1. Began to decline after failing to expand further than Vienna
2. The Balkan Wars in 1878, when many European parts of the empire gained independence, made the empire very weak.
3. The Ottomans joined the Central Powers in WW1. When they lost the war, what was left of the empire by this point became the Republic of Turkey.

safavid empire

shia muslim turks; life dedicated to allah

years the safavid empire lasted

1501-1736

ismail

(safavid) leader of nomadic, shia muslim turks

sufi mystics

(safavid) rejected worldly pleasures and possessions favoring a life dedicated to Allah

battle of chaldiran

battle between safavids and ottomans; demonstrated importance of gunpowder technology in land-based empires and limited Shia expansion

shah abbas I

under his rule, safavid empire reached its peak; he reorganized armies and drove Ottomans out of Safavid territories

effects on boundaries today (safavid)

defined some of the boundaries and Islamic divisions in the Middle East today

how did safavids control turkish leaders

by granting them fiefdoms with peasants to work land and pay tribute

isfahan

capital of the safavid empire; located far inland, famous for beautiful architecture

collapse of safavid empire

collapsed as severity of Shah Hussein's rule led to revolt among Sunni Afghans

years the mughal empire lasted

1526 - 1761

babur

Mughal leader than conquered Afghanistan and Delhi Sultanate creating a gunpowder empire in India

shah akbar the great

(mughal empire) conquered most of northern India; believed any empire not expanding was in decline, ended tax against non-muslims; created “divine faith” 

zamindari system

local government officials who collected taxes and upheld laws (mughal)

shah jahan

conquered the Deccan Plateau in central India and turned back Portuguese invasion of Bengal (mughal)

taj mahal

built by Jahan to commemorate the memory of his wife and display the wealth and power of the empire (mughal)

fragmentation of mughal empire

high taxes and rollback of Akbar's religious reforms