Entry Task• You will need: folder, book, paper, pen/pencil• Look at the map on pg. 71. Using your map from

Friday, determine which present day countries were parts of the following empires:– The Ottoman Empire– The Safavid Empire– The Mughal Empire

• Now compare the geography of the 3 empires. Which has the most coastline? Which is the most mountainous?

The Muslim World Expands

1300-1700

What should I learn today?

• Basic understanding of Islam• Understanding of 3 Muslim Empires• Connections to Today

What does it mean to be a Muslim?

• Muslims (or Moslems) are followers of Islam• Islam is one of the world’s 3 main monotheistic

religions (along with Christianity and Judaism)– Monotheistic: belief in one god

• Dominant religion in the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Asia

• Over 1.5 billion worldwide• Two major divisions: Sunni and Shi’a

Important Facts• God: Allah, means “god”

in Arabic• Holy Book: Qur’an/Koran• Place of Worship: Mosque• Holy Cities: Mecca,

Medina, Jerusalem• Important People:

Prophet Muhammad– Also: Abraham, Moses and

Jesus

5 Pillars of Islam• Belief in one god, Allah, and

his prophet, Muhammad• Daily prayers, 5 times each

day• Giving to those in need

based on personal wealth• Purification through fasting

during the month of Ramadan

• The Hajj, a pilgrimage to the city of Mecca

Empire Builders in the Middle East and South Asia

• The Ottomans• The Safavids• The Mughals

The Ottoman Empire: Turks Move into Byzantium

• Anatolian Turks: ghazis, warriors for Islam• Formed military societies and invaded the

territories of infidels, people who did not believe in Islam

• Osman: successful ghazi, his followers were called Ottomans

• Success and expansion until stopped by Timur the Lame

The Ottoman Empire: Powerful Sultans Spur Dramatic Expansion

• 4 powerful sultans led Ottoman Empire until 1566

• 1453: took Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) under Mehmed the Conqueror

• 1514: defeated the Safavid under Selim the Grim– Continued on to take Mecca, Medina and Cairo

The Ottoman Empire: Suleyman• Suleyman the Lawgiver and

Suleyman the Magnificent• Continued to expand the

empire into Central Europe, North Africa and Central Asia

• Structured social organization: law code, simplified taxes and government

• Tolerance of religious and cultural differences

Mosque of Suleyman

Istanbul, Turkey

The Ottoman Empire: The Empire Declines Slowly

• Pattern of gaining power and holding power• The practices of the sultans led to weak

leaders and the decline of the empire– Suleyman killed his most capable son and sent

another into exile– Selim II inherited the throne

Building the Safavid Empire

• Major influences: Persians, Ottomans, Arabs• Located between the Ottoman Empire and the

Mughal Empire• Strong military force• Leader Isma’il became a religious tyrant and

controlled Persia, (now Iran) and took the ancient Persian title of shah (meaning king)

• Defeated by Ottomans in 1514, set present day border between Iraq and Iran

The Safavid Empire Golden Age• Shah Abbas, also called Abbas the Great, helped

create a Safavid culture that drew from the best of the Ottoman, Persian and Arab worlds

• Reforms and respect for military and civilian life• Tolerance for other religions and cultures

– Encouraged industry, trade and art exchanges with European nations

• Built a beautiful new capital at Esfahan with influences from all over Europe and Asia

Esfahan, Iran

The Safavid Empire: The Dynasty Declines Quickly

• Story is similar to that of the Ottomans…• Shah Abbas killed or blinded his ablest sons• The pampered young prince Safi led the

empire into decline• In 1736 Nadir Shah Asfar once again created

an expanded empire but was assassinated in 1747 and the empire fell apart

The Mughal Empire: Early History

• History of being divided • Delhi destroyed by

Timur the Lame in 1398• 1494: Babur moved

south and laid the foundation for the Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire: Akbar’s Golden age

• Akbar, means “Greatest One”• Ruled with wisdom and tolerance from 1556-

1605• “A monarch should ever be intent on

conquest, otherwise his neighbors rise in arms against him.”

• With one neighbor, discuss what you think this means

The Mughal Empire:Akbar’s Golden Age

• Combination of military power and political wisdom

• Unified a land of at least 100 million people

• Ruled with tolerance, allowed religious freedom and allowed all to rise in political power

• Cultural blending affected language, art, education, architecture and politics

The Mughal Empire: Akbar’s Successors

• Jahangir: the son of Akbar left the political power in the hands of his wife, the Persian princess Nur Jahan

• Shah Jahan: killed all possible rivals, built the Taj Mahal after the death of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal– Taxes supported beautiful

buildings but people suffered

•Aurangzeb ruled oppressively and lost power

The Mughal Empire: Decline and Decay

• Aurangzeb drained the empire’s resources• People had little loyalty to him • Over 2 million died in famine• Gave Bombay to the British in 1661• Empire became less and less united after his

death• Next conquerors… Europeans