THE POWER OF THE PRINCE:THE RISE OF TERRITORIAL EMPIRES IN THE POST-MONGOL MIDDLE EAST/Terzioglu-March 9,2009

The Power of the Prince: The Rise of Territorial Empires in the post-Mongol Middle East

Territorial empires vs. territorial states

The principal territorial empires founded by Muslims in the early modern period
Ottoman Empire (1300-1922)- in the lands of Rum
Safavid Empire (1501-1722) – Iranian world
Mughal Empire (1526-1858) – India

Antecedents
-The rise and demise of the Arab-Muslim caliphate
-The feudalization of Muslim societies
-A dual elite: the military ruling elite (umera, pl. of amîr) supported by the iqta system
and the civilian religious elite (ulema, pl. of âlim) supported by waqfs.

Factors behind the rise of more powerful states in the early modern Middle East

Marshall Hodgson, Venture of Islam:
1.The Mongol political legacy
2.Gunpowder technology
3.The triumph of agrarian civilization over nomadism
4.Economic growth

Also:
5.The ability of the new dynasties to create an effective social base for their empires

Ottomans
-Initially, a frontier state that relied on the support of gazis, nomads, dervishes

-The creation of the kul corps; the institution of the devshirme levy

-The growing importance of the ulema and their incorporation into the state bureaucracy

Safavids
-Initially, a Sufi order with a strong following among the nomadic population of Azerbaijan and Anatolia.

-Gradual adoption of “extreme” Shii ideas; conversion of religious charisma also into political power; Turcoman followers known as “Kızılbaş” turn into soldiers for the Safavid cause

-Once established as a monarchy, Safavids also diversified their base of power, counterbalanced their Turcoman soldiers with slave soldiers drawn from among Armenian, Circassian and Georgian converts; relied increasingly on the Persian-speaking bureaucracy for the civil administration and adopted orthodox Shiism as the state religion, represented by the ulema rather than by shiitizing Sufi sheikhs.

Mughals

-When Mughals first conquered India, they relied on a largely Central Asian and Afghan military ruling elite and a civil bureaucracy staffed by Iranian Muslims

-They later expanded their social base by including in their ruling class also Indian Muslims and Hindus (Rajputs).

-Most inclusive of the three empires: abolished the jizya tax imposed on non-Muslims.

-No use of slave soldiers.