AP WORLD Islamic empires vocab

Sikhism

Ninth largest religion in the world; is an off shoot of Hinduism and containing elements of Sufism.

Harem

Sacred space reserved for Muslim women in a Islamic household; commonly stereotyped in the West as a “brother” for a sultans concubines.

Deushirme

The Ottoman practice of requiring Christian populations of southeastern Europe to send young boys to the sultans court to learn Turkish, become Muslim, and serve the ottoman janissaries or bureaucrats.

janissaries

Elite soldiers of the ottoman army made up of paid “slaves” were formerly Christians sent as boys to serve the Ottoman Empire.

Mughal

Persian term for Mongol. They were an Islamic dynasty that dominated nearly the whole Indian sub continent.

Pasha

An appointed official of the Ottoman Empire who collected taxes, maintained law and order, and was directly responsible to the sultans court.

Ghazi

Muslim religious warriors whose cultures infused the armies of the Ottoman and Safavid armies.

Bey

Turkish semi nomadic term for chief. (Local clan)

Ulama

Islamic officials or scholars who interpreted and enforced the shariah law. (The Turkish _____ were suspicious and not found of technology unlike the Arab Abbasid _____ that liked learning of new innovations and other teachings.)

din-i-llahi

Syncretic “religion” created by Akbar the Great that was a fusion of Hinduism and Islam also incorporated elements of Christianity and Buddhism. It’s goal was to aid akbar in centralizing his rule over India.

Shah

The title given to emperor, kings, lords, and princes of Persian (Iran). From the Persian word for “king of Kings.”

Zaminards

Bureaucratic caste of the Mughal empire in charge of specialized tasks such as tax collecting, water management, and construction.

Grand Bazaar

The great covered market place in Constantinople/Instabul. It was the hub of world trade, and unrivaled in Europe until the 1800’s.

Dhimmi

Protected peoples; people of the book.

Millet

The policy of allowing non-Muslim people with the Ottoman Empire (Jews and Christians) to govern their own localities themselves.

Twelver Shiism

The belief of many Shiites that were twelve caliphs after Muhammad; the 12th lived in hiding until the day he would return and reestablish the true caliph.

Quzilbash

Fanatical Safavid warriors whose cultures infused wore red hats to show their devotion to the Twelver Shiism of the shah.

Rajputs

Hindu noble princely caste that were allowed to rule their regions independently in exchange for their loyalty and aide to the Mughal dynasty in India.

mansabdar

Bureaucratic ranking system for military officers and Goverment officials during the Mughal empire; was not hereditary; there was 33 grades, or levels.