WHAP Chapter 28 Overview (combined)

identify the peacock throne.

- a 7-year-old throne ordered by shah jahan which was completely decorated in more than 10 million rupees' worth of gems with a peacock atop

- the most spectacular seat on which any mortal human being has rested

identify the taj mahal.

*who built it? when? how long? why was it built?

- built by the emperor and his architects between 1631 and 1648 (18 years)

- it was a tomb for shah jahan's wife, mumtaz mahal, who died during childbirth in 1631

- a graceful and elegant monument to both the departed empress and to shah jahan's islamic faith

what did the gardens of the taj mahal represent?

the gardens of paradise

list 2 other islamic empires in the early modern age.

the ottoman dynasty and the safavid dynasty

what nationality did the ottoman, safavid, and mughals come from?

nomadic, turkish-speaking peoples of central asia

which dynasty made effective use of gunpowder weapons?

the ottoman dynasty

why did these 3 islamic empires wane in their fortunes?

they had ceased to expand territorially and gain access to new sources of wealth

from where is the term ottoman derived?

osman bey, founder of the dynasty

between what two dates did the ottoman empire last?

from 1289 to 1923

what were the ghazi supposed to purify the earth from?

the filth of polytheism

what happens to the ghazi who becomes a martyr?

they do not die, but they now live in beatitude with allah, having eternal life

what were christians from the balkans required to do with their boys?

through an institution known as the devshirme, they had to contribute to them becoming slaves of the sultan

what type of training would these christian slave boys receive?

- special military training

- they also learned turkish and converted to islam

describe the janissaries.

- the trained boys that became soldiers

- the word is derived from the turkish yeni cheri ("new troops").

what great city was captured in 1453 by mehmed II?

Constantinople

with what great italian city did mehmed initiate a naval war?

venice

what empire did süleyman keep on the defensive throughout his reign?

the habsburg empire

what city did suleyman besiege in 1529?

the habsburgs' prized city of vienna

who did suleyman challenge for supremacy of the mediterranean sea?

christian vessels

what was the official religion of shah ismail's realm?

twelver shiism

what belief did twelver shiism hold onto? *hint: religious leaders after muhammad.

there had been 12 infallible imams (or religious leaders)

what did twelver shiites believe concerning the twelfth imam? identify the qizilbash.

they believed *the "hidden" imam had gone into hiding around 874 to escape persecution, also believing he was still alive, one day returning to take power and spreading his true religion. the qizilbash were known as the "red heads". they were ismail's father's turkish followers wearing distinctive red hats with 12 pleats in memory of the twelve shiite imams

who were the foremost enemies of shah ismail's blend of shiism and turkish militancy?

the sunni ottomans who detested the shiite safavids and feared the spread of safavid propaganda among the nomadic turks in their own territory

why did the safavids refuse to use firearms?

they were devices they saw as unreliable and unmanly

who did the qizilbash cavalry put their trust in?

shah ismail

what islamic land empire was unable to conquer the safavid empire?

the ottomans

what military technology did shah abbas use?

gunpowder weapons

who never claimed to be a determined champion of islam? more of an adventurer/soldier of fortune!

zahir al-din muhammad, known as babur ("the tiger").

what was babur's great ambition?

to transform his inheritance into a glorious central asian empire

why did babur elect to stay in india?

never able to extend his authority much beyond Kabul and Qandahor and reduced at times to hardships and a handful oof followers

what type of weaponry did babur use to invade india?

gunpowder weapons, including both artillery and firearms

why did babur's army (entourage) want to leave india? ruined their compound bows.

the hot and humid indian climate

why did babur probably elect to stay in india?

he hoped to use the enormous wealth of india to build a vast central asian empire like that of tamerlane

which of the following political structures did babur establish in india? tightly centralized or loosely knit?

loosely knit

who was the real architect of the mughal empire?

babur's grandson akbar (reigned 1556-1605).

why did akbar pursue a policy of religious toleration?

he hoped it reduce tensions between hindu and muslim communities in india

what did the syncretic religion called the "divine faith" focus its attention on?

the emperor as a ruler common to all the religious, ethnic, and social groups of india

in what ways did aurangzeb depart from akbar's policy of religious toleration?

he demolished several famous hindu temples and replaced them with mosques, and he also imposed a tax on hindus in an effort to encourage conversion to islam

what religion did the ottomans, safavids, and mughals draw inspiration from?

islam

what did rulers from these empires do to enhance the legitimacy of their regimes?

they provided for public welfare and associated themselves with literary and artistic talent

what was the ghazi ideal of spreading islam?

fighting infidels or heretics which resonated with the traditions of turkish and mongolian peoples: on the steppes fighting was routine, and successful warriors became charismatic leaders

autocratic authority wielded by rulers of the islamic empires reflected __________ tradition.

steppe

what religion did shah ismail force on his subjects?

his shiite religion

what was a recurrent feature in regards to succession in the mughal empire?

family controversies: conflicts among mughal princes and rebellions of sons against fathers were recurrent features throughout the history of the empire

how did shah abbas deal with succession problems?

he lived in fear that another member of the family would challenge him, so he kept his sons confined to the palace and killed or blinded relatives he suspected, almost wiping out his family in the process

what did mehmed decree in order to protect his position?

that a ruler could legally kill off his brothers after taking the throne

what did muslim theorists agree about women in politics?

universally, they agreed that women should have no role in public affairs

what women enjoyed special privileges in the islamic empires?

the ruler's mother and his chief wife or favorite concubine of islamic empires

identify hürrem sultana.

also known as roxelana, she was a concubine of ukranian origin which süleyman the magnificent became infatuated with

what structure symbolizes shah jahan's devotion to his wife, mumtaz mahal?

the taj mahal

what american crops did european merchants introduce to the islamic empire? due to the columbian exchange.

maize, potatoes, tomatoes, and other crops which soon found a place in regional cuisines

what american crop had little appeal to the people of the islamic empires? but was popular as animal feed!

maize

what agricultural product wasn't popular in islamic lands until the 16th century?

coffee

who were the major suppliers of coffee/sugar by the 18th century?

american producers and european merchants

who introduced tobacco to the ottoman empire around 1600?

english merchants

what claim did the merchants make concerning tobacco?

it was useful for medicinal purposes

why were moralists concerned about coffeehouses?

they worried that the popular attractions were dens of iniquity that distracted habitués from their religious duties and attracted crowds of idlers and riffraff

what extreme measure did sultan murad IV take?

he outlawed coffee and tobacco and executed those who continued to partake. however, the effort was a losing battle. both pastimes eventually won widespread acceptance, and the coffeehouse became a prominent social institution in the islamic empires

what did the english east india company do to curry favor with the safavids?

they sent military advisors to help introduce gunpowder weapons to safavid armed forces and provided a navy to help them retake hormuz in the persian gulf from the portuguese

why didn't the mughals pay as much attention to foreign trade as did the ottomans/safavids?

partly because of the enormous size and productivity of the domestic indian economy and partly because the mughal rulers concentrated on their land empire and had little interest in maritime affairs

who found it challenging to maintain harmony between religious communities in their ethnically diverse empires?

imperial rulers

what was the center of a christian mission in india?

portuguese goa

what did portuguese jesuits envision when invited to akbar's court?

converting the emperor to christianity and then spreading their faith throughout india,* but their hopes went unfulfilled

why did akbar decline to commit to christianity?

he didn't want to commit to an exclusive faith that he thought would alienate many of his subjects

what mughal ruler declined to support islam as an "exclusive" faith that might alienate many indian subjects?

akbar

what two religions did the sikh religion combine?

hinduism and islam

who did the "divine faith" religion glorify in an attempt to create unity in a diverse empire? "lord of wisdom".

the emperor

who didn't islamic empires require to convert to islam?

conquered peoples

what were dhimmi communities able to do if they remained loyal and paid the jizya?

they could retain their personal freedom, keep their property, practice their religion, and handle their own legal affairs

identify millet communities.

they were autonomous religious communities of the ottoman empire*that retained their own civil laws, traditions, and languages, also assuming social and administrative functions in matters concerning birth, marriage, death, health, and education

what religious groups received military and administrative positions in the mughal empire?

muslims

what tax did akbar abolish?

the jizya

why was religious toleration unpopular among the muslims?

they worried that they would lose their religious identity and that toleration might lead to their absorption into hindu society as another caste

what emperor reinstated the jizya and promoted islam as the official faith of mughal india?

aurangzeb

what were the most visible expressions of imperial majesty?

capital cities and royal palaces

what city did the ottomans take particular pride in?

istanbul

what city did shah abbas turn into the queen of persian cities?

isfahan

how did the safavid palaces differ from the ottoman and mughal palaces?

they were relatively small and emphasized natural settings with gardens and pools

what two architectural traditions did the mughal emperors blend?

central asian traditions and elements of hindu architecture

what city did akbar build as his capital?

Fatehpur Sikri

what happened to mughal india after the death of aurangzeb in 1707?

it experienced provincial rebellions and foreign invasions

under whose rule did the indian subcontinent fall under in the mid 1700s?

british imperial rule

how did the ottomans attempt to limit fighting among competing members of their ruling houses?

by confining princes in the palace

what was the negative consequence of confining the princes to the palace?

they had no opportunity to gain experience in government

who opposed practices that were considered an affront (insult) to islam?

conservative muslim clerics

why did muslim leaders have considerable influence in the islamic empires?

because of their monopoly of education and their deep involvement in the everyday lives and legal affairs of ordinary subjects

why (how) did the wahhabi movement in arabia denounce the ottomans?

as dangerous religious innovators who were unfit to rule

why did conservative muslims force the closure of the ottoman printing press?

they regarded it as an impious technology

what did the islamic empires have to continue doing to finance their armies and bureaucracies?

they had to use fresh resources extracted from newly conquered lands

whose military technology couldn't the islamic empires keep up with?

the europeans'

what happened to the ottoman navy by the late 18th century?

it closed its shipbuilding operations and ordered new military vessels from foreign shipyards

what did europeans who visited islamic empires attempt to learn?

as much possible about the language, religion, social customs, and history of the host countries

what did the english scholar william bedwell describe as the only important language of trade, diplomacy, and religion from morocco to the china seas?

arabic

who were confident of their superiority and believed that they had nothing to learn from europeans?

muslim rulers and their muslim subjects

why did muslim clerics force the removal of foreign scientific instruments?

they considered it impious and unnecessary

what languages couldn't jewish refugees print books in?

turkish or arabic

who forced the closure of the turkish printing press in 1742?

conservative muslims

what other regions resisted the cultural influences from western european societies? CED!!

imperial china and tokugawa japan

what was the only technology that islamic empires readily accepted?

gunpowder weapons

what did the ottomans, safavids, and mughals prefer to the risks that foreign innovations might bring? CED!

political and social stability