Muslim Empires The Muslim empires of the early modern era represent a very pivotal era in world history. These include the Ottoman Empire, the Safavid dynasty, and the Mughal Empire. These three empires would be the expansion of Islamic civilizations across what we now know as the Middle East, northern Africa, and parts of Southeast Asia, each being different and similar in terms of origins, territory, and period as an empire. The Ottoman Empire was established by Turkic people from Central Asia at the beginning of the 13th century. However, its early territory was in Asia. They captured Constantinople and made it the empire’s capital. The Ottoman Empire would be the only of the three to span across three continents and was the longest-lived, …show more content…
One of the most significant similarities between the three empires is their imperial structure; all three were absolute monarchies. The leader of the Ottoman Empire was known as the Sultan; the Sultan was the highest political and military authority. The leader of the Safavid empire was the Shah, which translates to English as “king.” Starting with the founder of the Safavid dynasty, Ismail and the first-born sons would become the next Shah. The leader of the Mughal empire was the emperor, much like the Safavid dynasty, and the emperor’s first-born sons would be next in line. Another similarity is that they originated from Turkish tribes that started in Asia. The Mongols chased the people who would become the Ottomans out of Anatolia. This group, led by Osman, would conquer the Balkans and Constantinople, which would become the Ottoman Empire. This group would become stronger and eventually go back to Anatolia and take it over. The Safavids, just like the Ottomans, were originally a Turkish tribe that started out in Asia, and they would migrate to escape the Mongols to Anatolia and were infrequently attacked by the Mongols just as the Ottomans were. The Safavids would leave Anatolia once the Ottomans returned and conquered Persia. The Mughals, just like the Safavids and Ottomans, were chased out of Asia by the Mongols to Anatolia. They would exist in the chaos in Anatolia until the Ottomans came back and took over Anatolia; they would leave Anatolia and go to India. The ability to conquer their own territories is also a similarity. They each had relatively strong military power. This allowed them to conquer and maintain control over their