Asian Empires Flashcards
Ghazis
Warriors of Muslim faith
Ottoman Empire
- Anatolia- many Turk states- Muslim
- Osama I and descendants
Janissaries
Enslaved Christian boys from conquered areas- converted to Islam and trained- loyal to sultan- made strong military
Blood tax
Janissaries
Mehmed II
- strong military leader and wanted to take down Constantinople
- major trade route
- finally captures
- “the conquerer”
Istanbul
- Mehmed II named Constantinople- became major trade center with many cultures
Suleyman I
- when Ottoman Empire reached height
- “the magnificent”
- reformed tax system + overhauled govt bureaucracy + improved court system and legal code- reduced corruption
- “the lawgiver”
Safavids
- Shia, most other Muslims, Sunni
Esma’il
- founded Safavid empire
- everyone had o be Shia
Battle of Chaldrins
Safavids suffered defeat
Abbas
- after Esma’il- greatest Safavid leader
- reformed govt, strengthened military, and squires modern gunpowder and weapons
Mughals
- founded by Babur
- known for wealth and power- religious freedom
Babur
- founded Mughal empire
- “the tiger”
Akbar
- Babur’s grandson
- greatest of all Mughal rulers- expanded
- tried to gain loyalty
- reformed tax system + appointed officials to oversee it
Jahangir
- Akbars son
- intelligent
Shah Jahan
- jahangir’s son
- Mughals experienced cultural golden age during reign
Taj Mahal
Built for shah jahan’s wife, greatest example of Mughal architecture
Aurangzeb
- captured shah jahan, puts him in jail, eliminates rivals, shows dad brothers head, declares himself emperor
- helped empire reach greatest size
- destroyed temples + denied govt positions to those who were not sunni
Mughal decline
Rebellions- civil war- invaders
Ming Empire
- began after Yuan Dynasty (kublai khan) weakened
Hongwu
- founded Ming dynasty
- worked to rebuild China, improved agriculture and trade
- worked to restore traditional Chinese practices (confusion)
- got empower position more involved in govt
Yonglo
(Hongwu’s son) built Forbidden City, many people weren’t allowed in
Zheng He
- led 7 voyages around the Indian Ocean as far as Africa
- presented gifts from China wherever he went
- stopped after yonglo
Isolation
- Didn’t want European to take influence of chinese traditions away
- trading still happened in secret