Comparison of the Three Muslim Empires
Throughout the centuries, many empires have developed on the different continents of the Earth. All of these empires have experienced period of political, economic, and social success, as well as periods of decline. This is the case with the 3 Muslim empires: the Ottomans, the Safavids, and the Mughal. After the collapse of the Mongol Empire, the 3 kingdoms began to from across Asia: the Ottoman Empire in Asia Minor, the Safavid Empire in Persia, and the Mughal Empire in India. At their height, they covered nearly all of the Islamic World. Although all 3 empires have distinct differences, they also have many similarities. Both the Ottoman Empire and the Safavid Empire had originated from the Turkic nomadic groups. The governments of all three kingdoms were Muslim-based. However the Ottoman and Mughal empires were Sunni-based, while the Safavid Empire espoused Shi’ism, different forms of the Muslim religion. These kingdoms were all ruled by absolute monarchs, and also had revenues from taxation on the agrarian people. The peoples who lived in these kingdoms that were not Muslims did not have to follow the Muslim laws. All three kingdoms were also multi-linguistic and practiced inward orientation. Also, they were military based and had superior cavalries. The Mughal and Safavid empires, however, lacked a navy. The Ottoman and Safavid empires had a mixed society, as in the Mughal Empire, the society was mainly inhabited by populations of Hindus. These empires were known as the “Gunpowder Empires.” There were called this because of their use of muskets, cannons, and other types of guns in their military conquests. The Mughal Empire ruled mainly Hindu people, while the government was dominated by Muslims. The Safavids ruled mainly Muslim peoples. The Ottomans ruled a mixture of Muslims, Christians, and Jews. The Safavids practiced a different section of the Muslim religion, Shi’ism. As military advancements increased, the Ottomans did not adopt the new military