Anna Kindyakova World History 12/15/2015
In this essay I will attempt to answer the following question: What role did Islam play in the Ottoman and Mughal empires and what was the situation for religious minority groups? Overall, especially compared to Europe, religious toleration was very high in the two empires. While religious toleration varied along the years and the importance of Islam and its role in the two empires changed, it is safe to say that both of the empires went through a period of time where religion played a vital role in the people’s lives and tolerance of minority groups was at a high point. I will look more in-depth at the overall role that religion played in the empires as well as discuss both the positives and the negatives of the situation for minority groups.

Islam played a big role in the Ottoman Empire. As a religion it was a focal point around which the rulers based their decisions as faith was a “major pillar of dynasty and empire”(Stearns, Peter N. World Civilizations. Fifth Edition. 2007. Pg. 580) . Islam played a role of civilization and it is also what encouraged emperors to keep expanding the empire. Finally it promoted principles of political succession- in other words it stimulated competition. Overall the religion served to bind people together and achieve a stable regime.
Similarly in the Safavid Empire there was a lot of emphasis put on Shi’ism, and citizens were encouraged to convert to this religion. Religious festivals became focal points of Iran, and Shi’ism not only provided the dynasty with institutional support but also became a big part of Iranian identity and their lives which ultimately helped it transition to modern Iran.

In the Mughal Empire, particularly after the appointment of Akbar to the throne religion also began to play an important role in society. It was thanks to his policy of reconciliation and cooperation that a stable regime was achieved in the empire. To further promote unity and stop conflict he went as far as to invent a new religion- Din-i-Ilahi- which he believed could unite the Hindu and Muslim people residing in his empire. Therefore in the Mughal Empire Islam helped unite people and stop conflict.

In terms of the situation for minority groups, the Ottoman and Safavid Empires generally showed a lot of tolerance and acceptance towards other religions. One example of this is of the Janissaries that were recruited by the Ottomans to be in the military. Despite the fact that they were mostly Christians, the Ottomans accepted them and even granted them political power, as the Janissaries were able to make decisions about who got to serve on the throne.
Constantinople, a cultural melting pot of the Ottoman Empire was a place that was often visited by foreigners from places as far as England and Malaya. Ideas were taken from all over the world and implemented in Constantinople, such as the idea of coffee houses that was introduced by Americans. Cultural life of Constantinople involved many cultures coming together which was a tradition of exchange that had been a characteristic of Islamic civilization from the beginning. Some of the more able emperors of these dynasties also implemented policies which they believed could help increase international trade. These policies were possible because of the minority groups, such as Christians and Jews who had contacts overseas.
Lastly, one more point which shows that minority groups were very much tolerated is the millet system that was active in the Ottoman Empire. This system allowed citizens of the empire to choose their own religion and granted them power, such as the freedom to set their own laws and distribute their own taxes. All that was required from them in return was their loyalty to the Empire. This helped the minority groups to not feel discriminated against and allowed them to blend with the society while still keeping their core beliefs.

The Mughal Empire similarly tried to promote acceptance of different religions. Once Akbar was appointed to the throne he aimed to achieve peace between the Hindu and Muslim citizens. He promoted intermarriage between Mughal aristocracy and Hindu Rajput rulers, as well as promoted Hindus to the top positions inside the government and asked the Muslim population to respect the beliefs of the Hindus such as respect towards cows. The Mughal Empire further demonstrated its acceptance of other religions and ethnicities in the late 17th century, when Mughal India became one of the major overseas destinations for European travelers.

Despite the mounting evidence showing that the empires were very tolerant of the minority groups residing in them, there is still some evidence that they did not entirely accept other religions and ethnicities. In some ways Muslims still saw themselves as a more superior entity compared to societies outside of the empire. The Islamic community itself within the Ottoman and Safavid Empires was split between two groups: the Sunnis and the Shi’a who disagreed on which successor should have the right to succeed the prophet. This disagreement was an ongoing conflict between the two until it eventually led to a fateful battle in 1514[1]. This suggests that if there was conflict within their own Islam religion they couldn’t really be entirely accepting of religions that were foreign to them, such as Christianity or Jewry.

Similarly in the Mughal Empire there were episodes where it showed low toleration towards religious minorities. After Akbar promoted and established a certain system of religious acceptance in the empire, when Aurangazeb came to the throne he disturbed this system. He had a desire to rid Indian Islam of Hindu influences, and this desire led him to implement policies and changes such as give non-Muslims far fewer placements in the upper levels of bureaucracy and reduce personal contact with them. He also took measures to try and rid the Muslim faith of the Hindu culture. These policies in turn weakened the internal trust and alliances in the empire which Akbar worked so hard to achieve. I feel that it is safe to assume that if Aurangazeb felt that Hindu influences had to be removed he probably felt the same way about minorities like Christians and others.

In conclusion, while both the empires had its certain time frames where they struggled with acceptance of religious minorities both of them still were quite accepting of them, especially in comparison to some European countries where people were being killed for being of a certain religion. Islam played a role of unity and gave the rulers as well as the citizens of the empires a sense of purpose.

Works Cited:

Stearns, Peter N. World Civilizations. Fifth Edition. 2007. 566 – 579.

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[1] Stearns, Peter N. World Civilizations. Fifth Edition. 2007. Pg.