AP World EMPIRE DBQ

DBQ: Rise and Fall of Ottoman Turkey, Safavid Iran, Mughal India

What factors contemporaneous observers attributed the rise and fall of the Muslim empires which factors made them successful, which factors weakened empires? Discuss overall strengths and weaknesses additional documents to help access rise and fall of Ottomans, Safavids, Mughals? Documents:

Document 1: SAFAVID “great liking for warfare and weapons of war…fine soldier and very skilled, and his men so dexterous—use of muskets””realm extended and soldiers receive pay all year” Paul Simon, missionary to Safavid Court of Shah Abbas The Great in the city of Isfaha, 1605—visitor to Safavid court, therefore perhaps biased in treatment of soldiers and mencourt has only the best of the best. Plus biased towards Europe, therefore men are “little behind our men in Europe.”  success of the empire was its treatment of the recruited slave youth into the army and bureaucracybackbone of army and loyal to Abbas I. Document 2: MUGHAL Revenues collected “3,960.3 million dams” while expenditures were “3784.2 million dams”, a good “187.4” on the imperial household itself, another 359 for the central military establishment and an astounding 3237.8 on the imperial nobility.  most of the population in India lived in poverty, the splendor of the regime mostly the Mughal nobility. Bureaucracy and army grown bloated and corrupt, peasants and urban workers have lower living standards warfare (Aurangzeb) and elaborate architecture (shah Jahan) cost empire against Invaders. Document 3: OTTOMAN “considers each case on its own merits”—“no distinction is attached to birth among the Turks””honors, high posts and judgeships are the rewards of great ability and good service”: meritocracy in Suleiman the Magnificent’s court: Ottoman Empire has freedom of religion, prevents rebellions from conquered territories. Many advisors to the Sultan, religious scholars, legal experts, dhimmis (people of the book)underneath ruling...