The Role of Islam in the Gunpowder Empires

1
The Role of Islam in the Gunpowder Empires

• Compare and contrast the role of Islam in the
  three Muslim empires

2
Ottoman Empire

• Ottoman ruling elites were Sunnis
• Islamic law and customs applied to all Muslims in
  the empire
• The government tolerated religious diversity so
  long as they remained loyal to the empire
• Non-Muslims formed a significant minority within
  the empire. They were required to pay a head tax
  (because of their exemption from the military).

3
Ottoman Empire Cont.

• Each religious group organized into
  administrative unit called a millet
• Each group had own patriarch or grand rabbi who
  was intermediary with the government
• Each millet established own system of justice
  educational policies and welfare

4
Safavids

• Used Shiite faith as a unifying force
• Shah acquired divine quality and claimed to be
  spiritual leader of all Islam
• Shiism was the official state religion
• Sufi mystical religious groups through out the
  area
• Wore distinctive red caps that symbolized
  allegiance to the twelve imams of the Shii faith
  they were known as the red heads.

5
Mughals

• They combined Muslim with Hindu and Persian
  concepts of religion and cultural values
• Akbar (ruler of the Mughals) who was an Othodox
  Muslim had been exposed to other religions
  therefore he accepted religious diversity among
  his people
• Became steadily more hostile towards Muslims in
  later years
• Sponsored a new form of worship called the Divine
  Faith which combined characteristics of several
  religions with a central belief in the
  infallibility of all decisions reached by the
  emperor

6
Compare and Contrast

• All the empires were Muslim in their religious
  affiliation
• The Safavids were Shiites rather than Sunnis
• The Ottomans and the Mughals were more tolerant
  of other religions while the Safavids were more
  strict about their faith