Compare And Contrast Ottoman And Safavid Empires

“For legitimizing their rulership, founders of Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal Empire claimed to descend from certain historical, political or religious leaders. Explain how each of these imperial dynasties claimed such legitimacies and compare them in terms of similarities and differences in the process of establishing their authority.”

ALİHÜSEYİN ALTUNBAŞ

SOCIAL SCIENCES UNİVERCITY OF ANKARA

The Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires were three major Islamic empires (Gunpowder Empires) that emerged in the medieval period. All three empires were founded by ambitious leaders who sought to establish their authority and legitimize their rule by claiming descent from certain historical, political, or religious leaders. Despite sharing a

Ismail, I claimed that he was the descendant of Ali, the cousin, and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad and was taken as a Mehdî el-Muntazar ( Messianic figure in Islamic eschatology who is believed to appear at the end of times to rid the world of evil and injustice and the last of Shia Imams)by his subjects. The heritage that he received from his religious liders family (Safi-ad-din Ardabili, Sadr al-Dīn Mūsā, Shaykh Junayd and Shaykh Haydar) and These claims together helped Ismail I to gain the support of the Shia Muslims in Iran, who believed that the Safavids were the rightful rulers of the country. Ismail I also religion and especially the Shia variation of Islam to legitimize his rule by emphasizing his role as the Shia Muslims' leader and the Shia faith's defender. The Safavid Empire continued to use these claims of legitimacy throughout its history, with each new ruler emphasizing their religious and genealogical ties to the founding family. The Safavids used their claim to be descendants of the Prophet Ali to justify their rule over the Shia population and to gain the support of religious leaders and scholars. They also used their role as protectors of the Persian culture and identity to justify their expansion into the Persian-speaking lands and to gain the support of the local population.The Safavids also used their military might to expand their empire and to assert

Babur claimed that he was the descendant of Timur, the famous Central Asian conqueror, and Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire. This claim helped Babur to gain the support of the Mongol and Turkic tribes in India, who believed that he was the chosen one to rule over them. Babur also used religion to legitimize his rule, by emphasizing his role as a Muslim ruler and protector of the Islamic faith. The Mughal Empire continued to use these claims of legitimacy throughout its history, with each new ruler emphasizing their religious and genealogical ties to the founding family. The Mughals used their claim to be descendants of Genghis Khan and Timur to justify their rule over the Indian subcontinent and to gain the support of the local population. They also used their role as protectors of the Islamic faith to justify their expansion into the Indian subcontinent and to gain the support of the religious leaders and scholars. The Mughals also used their military might and their patronage of the arts and culture to expand their empire and to assert their authority over the conquered