Gunpowder Empires Dbq

Gunpowder Empires DBQ

Beginning in 1280 and lasting as long as the 18th century, three major empires known as the Gunpowder empires rose to power; the Ottomans from modern day Turkey and northern Africa, the Safavids from Iran, and the Mughals from India. The Gunpowder Empires succeeded in extending their empires by utilizing their strong political systems and spending and using advanced weaponry, however they also had absolute rulers who refused to grant their citizens essential civil rights which led to a decline in power.

A major strength for all of the Gunpowder Empires, was their strong merit based, bureaucratic governments and their exceptional knowledge and use of new weapons. Document 3 is written in 1554 to 1562 by a man named Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, a Habsburg Ambassador to Suleiman the Magnificent. Ogier states that “Those who receive the highest offices from the Sultan… do not believe that high qualities are either natural or hereditary, nor do they think that they can be handed down from father to son, but that they are partly the gift of God, and partly the result of good training, great industry, and unwearied zeal.”(Doc 3). Men had to earn their rank and could not inherit them from ancestors. This was the reason why they were successful in maintaining and extending their empire.

Another strength that was common in all three empires, was the spending and use of troops and advanced weaponry such as muskets. Documents 2 is a table of the Income and Expenditures of the Mughal empire from 1595 to 1596. Expenditures for Imperial Nobility is the area where the most money is spent on. Inside of this category, out of 3,960.3 Million Mughal Copper Coins, 2,038.9 was spent on “Enlisted, heavily armed cavalry and regional troops,” the most on the entire chart. This demonstrates the importance of military power to the Mughal empire. Document 1 is written by Father Paul Simon, a missionary to the Safavid court in Isfahan. In his report to Pope Clement VIII in 1605, he writes “He is very valiant and has a great liking for warfare and weapons of war, which he has constantly in hands”(Doc 1). He also writes “He has introduced into his militia the use of and esteem for [muskets], in which they are very practiced. Therefore it is that his realm has been so much extended on all side…”. This is evidence of the use of Advanced Weapons, such as muskets, and how it changed the structure of the military and