Period 4: Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires Flashcards
Who was Osman Bey?
Osman Bey founded the Muslim Ottoman Empire in Anatolia, Turkey and challenged the Byzantine Empire.
How did the Byzantine Empire end?
The Ottomans/Turks invaded Constantinople in 1453.
What were characteristics of the Ottoman empire?
- Constantinople was capital (renamed to Istanbul)
- converted the great cathedrals (ie. Hagia Sophia) into mosques
- more tolerant of religion (Christians and Jews could practice their religions)
- lasted until 1922
What were Janissaries?
The Ottomans enslaved children of their Christian subjects and turned them into fighting warriors known as Janissaries to conquer large territories.
Who was Selim I?
- came to power in 1512
- claimed he was the rightful heir to Islamic tradition under the Arab caliphs
- Istanbul became the center of Islamic civilization
Who was Suleiman I aka Suleiman the Magnificent?
- 1520 to 1566
- built up Ottoman military and encouraged the development of the arts
- golden age
- tried to take Vienna in 1529
What were the Safavids?
- chief rivals of the Ottoman
- based on military conquest
- dominated by Shia Islam
- located in Iran (between the Ottomans and the Mughals)
Who was Babur?
- claimed to be descended from Genghis Khan but was Muslim
- invaded northern India and defeated the Delhi Sultanate in 1526
- established the Mughal empire which dominated the Indian subcontinent for the next 300 years
Who was Akbar?
- ruled from 1556 to 1605
- Babur’s grandson
- unified most of India by governing under a policy of religious toleration
- allowed Hinduism and Islam to be practiced openly
- eliminated the jizya
- tried to improve the position of women by attempting to eliminate sati
- married a Hindu woman and welcomed Hindus into government positions
What is the jizya?
The jizya is the head tax on Hindus that had been a source of great anger to the people.
What is sati?
Sati is the practice in which high-caste Hindu women would throw themselves onto their husbands’ funeral pyres.
Who was Shah Jahan?
- Akbar’s grandson
- oversaw the building of the Taj Mahal
Who was Aurangzeb?
- 1658 to 1707
- son of Shah Jahan
- enacted pro-Muslim policies and waged wars of expansion to try to conquer the remaining portions of India still not under Mughal control
- reinstated the jizya
- destroyed Hindu temples
How did Europeans impact the Mughal empire?
- Portugal established trade with and sent Christian missionaries to the city of Goa
- the British East India Company had substantial control of trade in Bombay by 1661
- the British founded the city of Calcutta as a trading outpost by 1691
How did the Mughal emperors react to the Europeans?
- annoyed but generally permitted the trade and regarded the Europeans as relatively harmless (before 1750 aka Industrial Revolution)
