Deck 21: The Last Great Islamic Empires, 1500-1800

Question 1

By the nineteenth century, the relationship between the Islamic empires and the West can best be described as (Global Perspective, pp. 514-515)

A) the West was booming, the Islamic world declining.
B) the West was declining, the Islamic world booming.
C) the West was stagnant, the Islamic world declining.
D) the West was booming, the Islamic world stagnant.

Answer 1

the West was booming, the Islamic world declining.

Question 2

All of the following were important Islamic empires from 1500 to 1650 except

A) the Sikh.
B) the Ottoman.
C) the Safavid.
D) the Mughal.

Answer 2

the Sikh.

Question 3

The Ottoman Empire originally centered on the modern-day country of (Map 21-2, p. 516)

A) Egypt.
B) India.
C) Turkey.
D) Iran.

Answer 3

Turkey.

Question 4

The most famous slave corps in the Ottoman military was the

A) imams.
B) Janissaries.
C) Sikhs.
D) Mamluks.

Question 5

In the long run, the most impressive aspect of Safavid times was the

A) cultural and intellectual renaissance that Iran enjoyed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
B) military force that protected the state.
C) trade established with the Far East.
D) technological advances in medicine.

Question 6

The Mughal dynasty sought to end the political fragmentation of

A) Persia.
B) Central Asia.
C) India.
D) Indonesia.

Question 7

The Mughal Empire declined for all of the following reasons except

A) unfriendly commercial relations with Britain.
B) the retreat of religious toleration.
C) public spending outstripped tax revenues.
D) the building of the Taj Mahal.

Question 8

By 1600, which of the following region(s) was/were predominantly Shi'ite?

A) the Safavid and Mughal empires
B) the Safavid Empire
C) the Mughal and Ottoman empires
D) the Ottoman Empire

Question 9

What were the common reasons for the rise of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires? What were some of their primary accomplishments? What were the reasons for their decline?
Conceptual

Question 10

How did the Ottomans gain control over such a large empire? What were the crucial elements of the "classical" Ottoman order? What were the main reasons for the internal decline of the empire?
Conceptual

Question 11

Why did the Ottoman Empire expand into Europe in the seventeenth century? What brought about this rapid expansion? Why did the empire fail to hold certain areas in Europe?
Conceptual

Question 12

What were the most important reasons for the success of the Safavid Empire in Iran? What role did Islamic religion have in this development? Who were the major foes of this empire?
Conceptual

Question 13

What were the most important elements that united all Islamic states? Why was there a lack of unity between these states from 1500 to 1800? How and why were the European powers able to promote division among these various states?
Conceptual

Question 14

The Mughal conquest of India was led by Akbar "the Great." What were his main policies toward the Hindu population? Why did he succeed and his followers fail in this area? What were his main reforms of the government?
Conceptual

Question 15

Discuss the unique importance of the Sikhs to Indian politics. How and why did they develop into a formidable military power? Why did they fail to unify with the larger Indian population?
Conceptual

Question 16

Why has the cultural and intellectual renaissance in Iran during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries been called "the most impressive aspect of Safavid times"? Be specific about advances in the disciplines of painting and architecture.
Conceptual

Question 17

What were some of the main tenets of the Ishraqi or "illuminalist" school of theological-philosophical thought? How would you define the concept of "transcendence" and the notion of a "realm of images"?
Conceptual

Question 18

What were the primary accomplishments of the Uzbeks and the Chaghatays in Central Asia? What was the predominant religious problem that affected these and other states in Central Asia?
Conceptual

Question 19

Why were outside powers attracted to the South Seas lands? Why were the European powers able to win out in the long struggle for control in this area? Who were their main enemies and what assistance did these forces receive from other areas of the world?
Conceptual

Question 20

What role did the kingdom of Acheh play in the East Indies? Why did its power decline by the early twentieth century?
Conceptual

Question 21

What role did geography play in the political, economic, and religious development of the Islamic world? What limitations did geography place on the rulers of Islamic empires? How successful were they at overcoming these limitations?
Conceptual

Question 22

Compare and contrast the experiences of the Islamic empires with those of the West in the period from 1500 to 1800. What were the main sources of dynamism and growth for each? The main sources for decline and division?
Conceptual

Question 23

What were the consequences of the Shi'ite and Sunni rift during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries? What political divisions emerged among Muslim states? How was Muslim culture affected by it? How was Central Asia particularly affected?
Conceptual

Question 24

Compare and contrast the process of political centralization in the Ottoman and Safavid empires. Did both empires have to contend with similar political and military circumstances? Did specific national and cultural identities emerge from the process?
Conceptual

Question 25

Compare and contrast the roles of Shah Abbas I and Akbar the Great in consolidating the power of the monarchy in their respective states. Did they have to contend with similar circumstances, such as ethnic and religious diversity? Was one ruler more successful than the other?
Conceptual

Question 26

What political role did religion play in the Safavid and Mughal empires? How did these dynasties treat non-Muslim subjects? Were they consistent in their treatment of all groups? Did religious policies have negative or positive consequences?
Conceptual

Question 27

Discuss religious developments in the Muslim states of India during the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries. How were traditional, non-Muslim religions affected? Did native religious traditions have an impact on Islam? What new religions emerged during this period?
Conceptual