REV: Lesson - The Gunpowder Empires: Ottoman and Mughal

A map of the Ottoman Empire at its height. It controlled parts of the middle east, Europe and Africa.The Ottoman and Mughal Empires

The Ottoman Empire

If you will remember—the Mongols sacked Iraq and Persia in the mid-1200s CE, which ended the Abbasid Dynasty. This opened the doors for others to take over the territory. On the Anatolian Peninsula, the Ottoman Turks evolved from their nomadic roots into a military machine with the help of their recently acquired weapons: gunpowder, guns, and cannons. Most of Europe, Southwest Asia, and North Africa weren’t using cannons yet. That acquisition leveled the playing field between the Ottoman Turks and the remnants of the Byzantine Empire. In 1453 CE—under Sultan Mehmed II (also known as "the Conqueror”)—the Ottoman Turks triumphed over the Byzantine Empire with their capture of Constantinople. In renaming the city to Istanbul, the Ottoman Turks established a capital for their up-and-coming empire. Over the next century, the Ottoman Empire claimed almost all of the Byzantine Empire.

A painting of Suleiman the Magnificent

Suleiman I

In the 16th century, Suleiman I (“the Great” or “the Lawgiver”) brought additional glory to the Ottoman Empire. He was keenly aware that the Ottoman Empire ruled over dozens of ethnic groups, and he tread carefully to avoid rebellion. He released political prisoners. He created a new Sharia-based law code that ended discrimination against Christians and Jews while upholding individual rights. He created schools for male children and lowered taxes. Additionally, he built up the Ottoman Empire by both expanding its physical size as well as undertaking architectural projects and rebuilding Jerusalem and Istanbul (formerly Constantinople). The central Ottoman authority kept tabs on these new freedoms through janissaries – originally a group of conscripted European children who were required to convert to Islam and join the military. In the 17th century, laws were changed to allow Muslim men to join the janissaries, so the required collection of Christian boys stopped.

A map showing the Mughai empireThe Mughal Empire in India

At only 12, Babur took the throne of a semi-independent city-state formerly controlled by his ancestor, Timur the Lame. Initially, he wanted to take over Timur’s empire, but when he was defeated, he turned east. He took over the Indian subcontinent and began the Mughal Dynasty. This was called the “Mughal” Dynasty because Timur was also related to the greatest Mongol, Genghis Khan.

India had a history of religious tolerance. It was the home to two world religions, and when Dar al-Islam spread to India in the 8th century, the leader Qasim interpreted Sharia law to include Hindus and Buddhists as “people of the book” along with Christians and Jews. When the Mongols took over, their Tengriism also included religious tolerance. In fact, Genghis Khan’s sons all married Christian women. Babur was Muslim and his empire was technically a theocracy, but the Mughal Empire practiced a greater degree of religious tolerance than the other Gunpowder Empires.

Akbar the Great hosting an interfaith dialogue in his courtAkbar the Great and Cultural Amalgamation

Babur’s grandson, Akbar the Great, also took the throne at a young age. His court was famous for its cultural amalgamation. He married women of different faiths, had his children educated by Christian scholars, and hosted interfaith dialogues. He abolished the remaining taxes on non-Muslims.

The Mughal Empire continued to see new traditions. In the 15th century, a new religion began: Sikhism was inspired by Hinduism and Islam but called for the spiritual equality of believers. So many different groups joined the military that they developed their own language, called Urdu, which is close to Hindi with a strong Persian and Arabic influence.

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