Actually defining the Iraq/Iran border still in place today, the world’s finest carpets, outstanding architecture, volatile religious differences, and battles for territory, what do these have in common? To answer this, let’s explore the Ottoman and Safavid Empires. Both empires had a key leader. For the Ottoman Empire 1301-1922 (AD), this was Suleiman the Magnificent. As sultan of the Ottoman Empire he overhauled the Ottoman legal system, led his armies into battle, brought peace to different religious sects, and contributed to the advancement of the arts. The Ottoman Empire thrived and expanded under Suleiman the Magnificent. In fact, the very walls surrounding Jerusalem today were built under his reign. eCore Unit 2 Ottoman Empire …show more content…
The Safavid Empire 1501-1736 (AD) was plagued from the onset by divisions. The Turkic warriors competed with the Shahs over power. Turkic warriors were given areas of land to rule over. The Turkic’s were still attempting to overpower the Shahs so the Shahs appointed Persians into positions to balance out the power. eCore Unit 2 Safavid Empire The Ottomans used a slave system to supply the needs of their army. Devshirmeh was a “human tax” in which boys were taken from their homes and groomed for service. Most of these boys served in the army. They were called Janissaries. Others that excelled were used in political service. eCore Unit 2 Ottoman Empire Similar to the Ottoman Janissary system, the Safavid took boys from Russia as slaves and groomed them for service. The boys would fill needed positions in the army and bureaucracy. eCore Unit 2 Safavid Empire A decisive battle for the power of the Ottomans was conquering Constantinople in 1453. The battle was led by Mehmed II. The army was strengthened and strategy planned before embarking on this challenging battle. It took 7 weeks of canons firing at the wall surrounding Constantinople before it was penetrated. (Chary,