3.4: Comparison in Land-Based Empires

Overview

• Not all empires auth; gunpowder empires decline with UK trade companies and harem polt.

  • Weak/corrupt lead, fail dev milt/navy → high tax=exp armies and peasant rebel, relig. schisms

  • Hind/Mus in Mughal, Safavid and Ottoman

Military Might

• Armies well-trained/org/equip/led; Eurasian gunpowder canoons with cavalry; Axtec/Inca intimid/conquer

• Soldiers: elite groups to control (Ottoman/Safavid slaves loyal offset)

  • Jannisaries (O; Balkan chrst) and Ghulams (S, Georgia/Armenian/Circassian)

  • Blood tax (devshrime) also Aztec (sacrifice)

• War: Otto/Safa over border and herecy; Safavid v. Mughal resource/trade Afg

  • Morocco v. Songhai; M sacked Gao, but not hold all empire

Central Bureacracy

• Ming/Manchu CSE; Ottoman devshrime; Safavid “men of the pen”

• Ottoman: tax non-Mus/peasant; Janissaries villages ($) and dual auth. with cen gov, strong navy

• Safavid: tax encourage Shiaism; milt. Qizilbash (Turcoman) est. empire, leaders milt sep. gov, no navy

• Mughal: jiyza/peasants, milt: warrior have village, zamindars sep. cen. gov, some navy

• Songhai mansa bureacucrats from madrasa; Inca fed. system with noble heads, decimal polt. sys

• Aztecs: tributes; no direct control, intimid.

Taxation

• Mughal zamindars tax peasant land prod

• Ottomans tax farming pay annual, recoup from local and keep surplus (Janissaries salary)

• Aztec tribute lists: trib. support nobles/milt; local specialities and ppl sacrifice

• Ming “hard currency” - paper money fraud/flucuate → rice/Agcoins

Legitimacy

• Religion: Islamic caliphs (successor Prophet); Eur divine right, Songhai convert Islam = structure; Aztec sacrifice, Akbar new relig

• Art: portraits Qing emporer around (Manchu over ethnic Hans); Ottoman mini-piant, Eur rulers support art

• Arch: Mausolea (Taj/Mughal mosques), Eur palaces (LXIV Fr Palace Versallies)