Skip to main content

How did the Ottoman and Safavid Empires treat the religious minorities they conquered? Also, what is the Ottoman Janissary system and the rivalry...

Like many empires throughout history, the Ottoman Empire conquered many people and sought to convert them to their own religion. Those that did not convert were given second-class status, called zimmis, granted some limited autonomy but still subject to Ottoman rule and Islamic law. This was better than religious minorities were treated in many other parts of the world, but hardly equality.The Ottoman Sultan Marad I formed the Janissary from captured Christians who were...

Like many empires throughout history, the Ottoman Empire conquered many people and sought to convert them to their own religion. Those that did not convert were given second-class status, called zimmis, granted some limited autonomy but still subject to Ottoman rule and Islamic law. This was better than religious minorities were treated in many other parts of the world, but hardly equality.

The Ottoman Sultan Marad I formed the Janissary from captured Christians who were pressed into service as a personal bodyguard for the Sultan. His successor, Marad II, expanded their role to be an elite military corps that served a variety of functions---but still maintained the general practice of pressing Christians into service. Eventually they became a powerful interest group in their own right. In a time when most armies were gathered ad hoc from serfs and peasants, the Janissary formed something much closer to a modern standing army. They used firearms, which at the time were state-of-the-art.

The Sunni/Shi'a conflict has been a part of Islam since a generation after the religion's founding, so it's hardly limited to the Savafid Empire; but it was certainly important there. Though Shah Ismail was originally Sufi, he converted to Shi'a, and declared the independence of the Savafid Empire from the Ottoman Empire when the Ottomans outlawed Shi'a and mandated Sunni Islam.

Ismail then made the Savafid Empire a Shi'a state, despite the fact that most of the population was in fact Sunni. This led to a campaign to convert the population to Shi'a, ranging from propaganda to outright coercion. This conversion of the population to Shi'a was largely successful, and to this day Iran is a Shi'a state with a predominantly Shi'a population.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What are some external and internal conflicts that Montag has in Fahrenheit 451?

 Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, faces both external and internal conflicts throughout the novel. Some examples of these conflicts are: External Conflicts: Conflict with the society: Montag lives in a society that prohibits books and critical thinking. He faces opposition from the government and the people who enforce this law. Montag struggles to come to terms with the fact that his society is based on censorship and control. Conflict with his wife: Montag's wife, Mildred, is completely absorbed in the shallow and meaningless entertainment provided by the government. Montag's growing dissatisfaction with his marriage adds to his external conflict. Conflict with the fire captain: Montag's superior, Captain Beatty, is the personification of the oppressive regime that Montag is fighting against. Montag's struggle against Beatty represents his external conflict with the government. Internal Conflicts: Conflict with his own beliefs: Montag, at the beginning of th...

In A People's History of the United States, why does Howard Zinn feel that Wilson made a flimsy argument for entering World War I?

"War is the health of the state," the radical writer Randolph Bourne said, in the midst of the First World War. Indeed, as the nations of Europe went to war in 1914, the governments flourished, patriotism bloomed, class struggle was stilled, and young men died in frightful numbers on the battlefields-often for a hundred yards of land, a line of trenches. -- Chapter 14, Page 350, A People's History of the United States Howard Zinn outlines his arguments for why World War I was fought in the opening paragraph of Chapter 14 (referenced above). The nationalism that was created by the Great War benefited the elite political and financial leadership of the various countries involved. Socialism, which was gaining momentum in Europe, as was class struggle, took a backseat to mobilizing for war. Zinn believes that World War I was fought for the gain of the industrial capitalists of Europe in a competition for capital and resources. He states that humanity itself was punished by t...

Where did Atticus take the light and extension cord in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Atticus brings the light to the courthouse jail so that he can protect Tom Robinson.  Atticus learns that Tom Robinson, his client, is in danger.  A group of white men want to prevent the trial and lynch Robinson. He is warned by a small group of men that appear at his house.  He refuses to back down.  Atticus knows that the Cunninghams will target his client, so he plans to sit up all night with... Atticus brings the light to the courthouse jail so that he can protect Tom Robinson.  Atticus learns that Tom Robinson, his client, is in danger.  A group of white men want to prevent the trial and lynch Robinson. He is warned by a small group of men that appear at his house.  He refuses to back down.  Atticus knows that the Cunninghams will target his client, so he plans to sit up all night with Jim if that’s what it takes to protect him.  Atticus tells the men that he will make sure his client gets his fair shake at the law.  “Link, that boy might go to the chair, but he’s not going till ...