Chapter 15: Empires in South and Southwest Asia

Ottoman Empire

a vast empire founded by Osman Bey in 1289

Mehmed the Conqueror

Ottoman sultan (1451-1481) who captured Constantinople in 1453

Suleyman the Magnificent

Ottoman sultan (1520-1566) known for expanding the empire into Europe and Asia and building a powerful navy that challenged European fleets.

Safavid Empire

a Turkish-dominated empire in Persia and Mesopotamia

Twelver Shiism

a form of Shiite Islam that holds the belief in twelve imams

Battle of Chaldiran

a 1514 conflict between the Ottoman and Safavid empires

Shah Abbas the Great

Safavid ruler (1588-1629) who revitalized the empire by modernizing the military

Mughal Empire

an empire in India founded by Babur in 1523

Babur

the founder of the Mughal Empire (1523-1530)

Akbar

Mughal emperor (1556-1605)

Aurangzeb

Mughal emperor (1659-1707)

Dynastic State

an empire's political system where rulers derived their authority from military achievements and piety

Steppe Traditions

the nomadic traditions that influenced the Islamic empires

Agriculture and Trade

key factors in the economy of the Islamic empires

Religious Affairs

Islamic empires like the Ottomans Safavids and Mughals dealt with religious diversity

Cultural Patronage

Islamic emperors sponsored art and public works like mosques

Dynastic Decline

the decline of imperial leadership between the 16th and 18th centuries due to negligent rulers

Economic and Military Decline

the gradual stagnation of the Islamic empires' economies and militaries

Cultural Insularity

the resistance of Islamic empires to foreign cultural innovations like the telescope and printing press

Printing Press

the introduction of printing technology to the Ottoman Empire