21: The Muslim Empires Flashcards
Mughal Empire
Established by Babur in India in 1526; the name is taken from the supposed Mongol descent of Babur, but there is little indication of any Mongol influence in the dynasty; became weak after rule of Aurangzeb in first decade of 18th century.
Safavid dynasty
Originally a Turkic nomadic group; family originated in Sufi mystic group; espoused Shi’ism; conquered territory and established kingdom in region equivalent to modern Iran; lasted until 1722.
Ottomans
Turkic people who advanced from strongholds in Asia Minor during 1350s; conquered large part of Balkans; unified under Mehmed I; captured Constantinople in 1453; established empire from Balkans that included most of Arab world.
Mehmed II
Ottoman Sultan called the “Conquerer”; responsible for conquest of Constantinople in 1453; destroyed what remained of Byzantine Empire.
Janissaries
Ottoman infantry divisions that dominated Ottoman armies; forcibly conscripted as boys in conquered areas of Balkans, legally slaves; translated military service into political influence, particularly after 15th century.
vizier
Ottoman equivalent of the Abbasid wazir; head of the Ottoman bureaucracy; after 5th century often more powerful than sultan.
Sail al-Din
Early 14th-century Sufi mystic; began campaign to purify Islam; first member of Safavid dynasty.
Red Heads
Name given to Safavid followers because of their distinctive headgear.
Isma’il
Sufi commander who conquered city of Tabriz in 1501; first Safavid to be proclaimed shah or emperor.
Chaldiran
Site of battle between Safavids and Ottomans in 1514; Safavids severely defeated by Ottomans; checked western advance of Safavid Empire.
Abbas the Great
Safavid ruler from 1587 to 1629; extended Safavid domain to greatest extent; created slave regiments based on captured Russians, who monopolized firearms within Safavid armies; incorporated Western military technology.
imams
According to Shi’ism, rulers who could trace descent from the successors of Ali.
mullas
Local mosque officials and prayer leaders within the Safavid Empire; agents of Safavid religious campaign to convert all of population to Shi;ism.
Isfahan
Safavid capital under Abbas the Great; planned city laid out according to shah’s plan; example of Safavid architecture.
Nadir Khan Afshar
Soldier-adventurer following fall of Safavid dynasty in 1722; proclaimed himself shah i 1736; established short-lived dynasty in reduced kingdom.
Babur
Founder of Mughal dynasty in India; descended from Turkic warriors; first led invasion of India in 1526; died in 1530.
Humayan
Son and successor of Babur; expelled from India in 1540, but restored Mughal rule by 1556; died shortly thereafter.
Akbar
Son and successor of Humayan; oversaw building of military and administrative systems that became typical of Mughal rule in India; pursued policy of cooperation with Hindu princes; attempted to created new religion to bind Muslim and Hindu populations of India.
Din-i-Ilahi
Religion initiated be Akbar in Mughal India; blended elements of the many faiths of the subcontinent; key to efforts to reconcile Hindus and Muslims in India, but failed.
sati
Ritual in India of immolating surviving widows with the bodies of their deceased husbands.
purdah
Seclusion in their homes imposed on women.
Aurangzeb
Mughal emperor who succeeded Shah Jajan known for his religious zealotry.
Taj Mahal
Most famous architectural achievement of Mughal India; originally built as a mausoleum for the wife of Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal.
Nur Jahan
Wife of Jahangir; amassed power in court and created faction of male relatives who dominated Mughal empire during later years of Jahangir’s reign.
Mumtaz Mahal
Wife of Shah Jahan; took an active political role in Mughal court; entombed in Taj Mahal.
Marattas
Western Indian peoples who rebelled against Mughal control early in 18th century.
Sikhs
Sect in northwest India; early leaders tried to bridge differences between Hindu and Muslim, but Mughal persecution led to anti-Muslim feeling.
