World Cultures

Mr. Trzepinska

World Cultures

Muslim Empires

Umayyad Empire

What were the reasons for the success of the Umayyad Empire? Identify 3 reasons.

How did the Umayyad’s treat the conquered people? Explain why they did this.

Would you convert to Islam if you were living in this empire? What were some of the benefits for conversion?

Identify 3 reasons for the decline of the Umayyad Empire

Abbasid Empire

Who was the founder of the Abbasid Empire?

Identify 4 changes that happened under the Abbasid Empire.

What role did the city of Baghdad play in the Abbasid Empire? Why was it known as the “City of Peace, Gift of God, and Paradise on Earth?”

Why did the Abbasid Empire decline in power?

Compare and Contrast the Umayyad and Abbasid Empires in terms of history, culture, ruling styles etc.

Babur (ruled 1526-1530)

Babur saw his royal lineage as the key to future greatness. His mother was a descendent of the greatest of the Mongol warriors, Ghengis Khan, while his father carried the blood of the legendary Tamerlane, who conquered and ruled the ancient city of Samarkand. While Babur would never expand his own land holdings to even a fraction of that of Ghengis' (his empire was the largest the world has ever known), Tamerlane served as an excellent role-model, for he usurped a more modest, though still impressive kingdom including the lands of present-day Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan. Babur made three valiant attempts on Samarkand, but his sieges were ultimately futile, for each time he captured the city, he was unable to hold it for long. Ever determined to get a slice of his ancestral territorial pie, he chose the sultanate of Delhi as his next target.

From his base of operations in Kabul, Babur tried to commandeer Delhi through his ancestry. Over a century earlier, Tamerlane had raided Delhi and managed to place a new dynasty, the Sayyids, on the throne of the sultanate. Therefore, as a direct descendent of Tamerlane, Babur convinced himself that he could claim the throne as his right. But the Turkish sultan of Delhi, Ibrahim Lodi, refused to give in so easily, for his family had thrown the Sayyids out of Delhi several generations back, and he would not recognize Babur's claim. This left Babur with little choice but to invade and hope his forces could defeat the well-entrenched defenders of Delhi.

It turned out to be a cakewalk. In 1526, Babur's forces crushed Ibrahim Lodi's army, largely due to Babur's access to artillery and gunpowder, both of which were in short supply on Lodi's side. After completing a mop-up campaign against several regional Hindu armies, Babur had the Delhi sultanate to himself, with no serious challengers. In doing so, Babur laid the groundwork for his own dynasty of Mongol warriors, known to the contemporary world as the Mughals.

Babur, unfortunately, never got the chance to take full advantage of his fledgling empire. He died suddenly in 1530, leaving the throne to his son, Humayun. He also left behind a handwritten memoir, penned in his native language, Turkish, that recounted almost 40 years of his adventures, ideas and opinions. This document, the Baburnama, is one of the earliest known autobiographical works in the Islamic world, and is perhaps the most detailed account of central Asian life of that period.

Akbar (1556-1605)

Fortunately for him, Akbar did not inherit the luckless habits of his father, Humayun. Instead, the young monarch began what was to be the greatest reign of the Mughal dynasty. A powerful and brave character in his own right, tales of his superhuman strength and cunning warrior's mind preceded Akbar wherever he went. Such notoriety undoubtedly helped him expand the empire, as he conquered nearly all of modern-day northern India and Pakistan.

Beyond his ability as an effective conqueror, Akbar was a keen administrator who developed a centralized federal government that delegated tasks to powerful bureaucracies. But above all, he is perhaps best known for recognizing the importance of tolerance, which was paramount to his dynasty's long-term sustainability. A ruling class of Muslims could only last so long if its numerous Hindu subjects did not have a reason to overthrow them. Therefore, Akbar removed the tax on Hindus, despite the traditional mandate in Islam to tax non-believers. Akbar invited scores of religious scholars, including Hindus, Jews, and Christians, to debate him on issues of religions. Akbar's wives were also of different religious backgrounds - each marriage was thus a strategic union.

Over time, Akbar's fascination with religion grew to almost an obsession when he fashioned his own faith, called Din Ilahi. Din Ilahi was a mix of the other religions Akbar had studied during those debates with religious scholars. He borrowed what he saw as the best components of each and blended them into the what became Din Ilahi. The new faith, however, never caught on among the Hindus and Muslims outside of his court, but despite this failure, Akbar continued to support religious tolerance among his people.

Finally, Akbar was the most mobile of the Mughals - every decade or so, it seemed, he moved the capital of the empire from one city to another. Nine years into his reign, Akbar established a new capital at Agra, where he built the marvelous Agra Fort. But by the 1570s, he moved it again, 40 miles west of Agra, to a new capital called Fatehpur Sikri. Fatehpur Sikri was the architectural gem of his reign, but after less than 20 years there, Akbar packed his bags again and moved far north to Lahore, to present-day Pakistan. But again, the time at this capital was fleeting, and eventually Akbar resettled in Agra.

Akbar died in 1605, nearly 50 years after his ascension to the throne, and was buried outside of Agra. The throne was then assumed by his son Jehangir.

Jehangir (ruled 1605-1627)

Compared to his legendary father Akbar, Jehangir was neither a stellar monarch nor an adventurous warrior. He was, however, quite competent in maintaining the status quo, and for over 20 years, he did just that. Jehangir maintained the central administration, supporting the arts, and occasionally expanding the borders of the empire, though only marginally.

Jehangir’s wife, Nur Jahan, made most of the important decisions within the government. Nur Jahan possessed great physical strength and courage. She often went on hunting tours with her husband, and on more than one occasion shot and killed ferocious tigers. Her love of poetry matched her love of royal sports. She supported both Hindu and Muslim artists and writers.

Nur Jahan was the most powerful woman in Indian history until the 20th century, and one of the most powerful Muslim women in all of history.

Shah Jehan (ruled 1627-1658)

While his grandfather Akbar is best known for developing the Mughal Empire, it is Shah Jehan who is remembered as the sultan who spent his time literally building it. Shah Jehan was a patron of the arts, and a lover of all things big: big mosques, big forts, big gemstones. He commissioned hundreds of paintings and engravings for his palaces, many of which survive to this day.

The most enduring of Shah Jehan's creations were his massive construction projects. Employing a mix of Persian palatial sophistication and local Hindu engineering know-how, Shah Jehan defined the architectural style recognized the world over as 'Mughal.' The Red Fort and the Jama Masjid, both in Delhi, stand out as towering achievements of both civil engineering and art. Yet above all else, we remember Shah Jehan today for the Taj Mahal, the massive white marble mausoleum constructed for his wife Mumtaz Mahal along the bank of the Jamuna River in Agra.

Mumtaz Mahal died during childbirth soon after Shah Jehan ascended to the throne. Grief-stricken, Shah Jehan decided to built the Taj Mahal as a tribute and final resting place for her. It took over a decade to build and it nearly bankrupted the empire, but Shah Jehan had his monument for the ages. He continued to spend lavishly, beginning new construction projects and revamping old ones. He even commissioned the creation of a brilliant gold throne encased in hundreds of precious gems - the Peacock Throne, a symbol of Mughal royalty until it was stolen by the Persians a century later.

But despite his successes as a patron of art and architecture, Shah Jehan was unable to gauge the discontent among his own court. A power struggle among his sons ensued, and eventually, the ruthless prince Aurangzeb deposed Shah Jehan in a coup d'etat in 1658. Shah Jehan was imprisoned in the Octagonal Tower of the Agra Fort (a beautiful addition to the fort that he himself had constructed) and would remain there until his death, eight years later, in 1666. He was then buried next to his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, in the Taj Mahal.

As you read about each Mughal Leader please fill in the following chart

Leader / Accomplishments and Contributions
Babur
Akbar
Jehangir
Shah Jehan

Which of the leaders do you think was most important and contributed to the most to the Mughal Empire?

Using your text please answer the following question:

Identify differences between Hindus and Muslims. What is Sikhism?

The Ottoman and Safavid Empires

What was the capital of the Ottoman Empire?

Identify 3 contributions of Suleiman the Magnificent to the Ottoman Empire.

Please fill the following pyramid with the 4 levels of society under the Ottoman Empire. What was the name of the each class and who made them up?

Please complete the following chart comparing and contrasting the Ottoman and Safavid Empires

Characteristics / Ottomans / Safavids
Capital
Dates
Strongest Ruler
Extent of Empire
Type of Islam
Relationship with Europe