Introduction
Religion has always played one of the most important roles in the formation of states and societies in them. Hence, Islam was an important factor in both the Ottoman and Mughal Empires. These states were formed at about the same time, which affected the appearance of significant similarities and differences, which will be analyzed in this essay. The main aspects that will be given attention are the religious policies of these empires, with emphasis on the role of women, succession to the throne, missionary activity, and treatment of non-Muslim minorities.
The Ottoman and Mughal Empires: Similarities and Differences
The Ottoman Empire developed over many centuries on the territory of modern Turkey. By the beginning of the twentieth century, it “controlled 2.4 million sq km of territory and was dominated by the Turks but also included Arabs, Kurds, Greeks, Armenians, and other ethnic minorities” (“The Ottoman Empire” para. 1). The main religion of this state was Islam; however, Christians, Jews, and other religious minorities were widespread in its vast territories. The Mughal Empire, in turn, spread to the territories of modern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh (Van Schendel 3). As in the Ottoman Empire, Islam was the main religion in the state, but the presence of other faiths was not denied.
Regarding the succession to the throne, the Ottoman and Mughal Empires had distinctive characteristics. The most important similarity was that the succession occurred within the ancestral line. Thus, in the Ottoman Empire, at its initial formation, the primacy of territories was inherited by the elder brother of the former ruler. Then, the rules changed, and all the ruler’s sons had equal rights to the throne. The Mughals, in turn, had excellent traditions regarding the transfer of power in the state. Hence, they adhered to the coparcenary rule of inheritance, which implied the division of the territories of the empire between all the sons of the ruler. However, the most important ruling place was given according to custom to the eldest of the heirs.
A special attitude in both empires was given to missionary practices. Their main role was to spread knowledge and awareness about the basic concepts and aspects of religion. Consequently, they were mainly intended for those strata of society who could not, due to their status, have the opportunity to get an education. Thus, in the Ottoman and Mongolian states, missionary data was not prohibited, even if they were engaged in spreading knowledge about non-dominant religions. This was due to the fact that they significantly influenced the social, religious, political, and cultural well-being of the country.
Another similarity that characterized the Ottoman and Mughal empires is the tolerant attitude towards minority religions. Thus, the first for many years of its existence allowed non-Muslim faiths. In this aspect, the state can be called quite progressive for that time. Despite the fact that the entire government functioned on the basis of the Islamic religion, the rest of the preaching had their own allocated rights (Rieffer-Flanagan 17). This concerns area such as religious freedom, autonomy, the court, and taxation (Faroqhi 262). Moreover, in the Ottoman, the state had a special pluralistic system, which was called Millet. Some of the examples of religions that were included in this structure were Greek Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, and Judaism.
Mughal Empire, like the Ottoman Empire, was characterized by a fairly tolerant attitude toward other religions. Thus, Persian, Mongol, and Indian cultures were very widespread in the state. Moreover, during the existence of the empire, new Hindu temples were built with the permission of the ruler. It is worth noting that the dominant religion in the empire was Islam, but freedom of jurisprudence and faith was proclaimed in the state. Furthermore, gave people the freedom to worship Hinduism and Parsi religion or Buddhists, in other words, whatever gods they wanted. Thus, as in the Ottoman Empire, The Mughals attached great importance to any faiths that existed in the state, as they greatly affected the activities of all areas of society.
The last aspect that needs to be considered in this essay is the position and attitude towards women in the Ottoman and Mughal Empires. Thus, in both States, the attitude and rules of the female sex were highly dependent on social status. Despite this, the main aspect was that men had authority over women. Consequently, the main role of the female sex was to take care of the house, family, and children. However, the situation changed if women were subjected to completely different rules. Therefore, they were more likely to be secluded in harems, and if the women had to leave the house, they had to be escorted. Moreover, they were given the opportunity to receive education in various fields. The main difference between Mughal Empire was that women were given the privilege of divorce but not the upper class (Rubab and Munir 130). Thus, both states have great similarities in the aspect of the treatment of women.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this essay examined the main similarities and differences between the Ottoman and Mughal Empires. Both states are characterized by the dominant role of the Islamic religion while having a tolerant attitude toward other faiths. In addition, missionary activity was not prohibited on the territory of states, as it had an impact on the social, political, and cultural spheres. Moreover, they treated women equally, who were often under the power of men, but the more privileged classes had the opportunity to receive an education. A distinctive feature was the tradition of succession to the throne.
Works Cited
Faroqhi, Suraiya. The Ottoman and Mughal Empires: Social History in the Early Modern World. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019.
Rieffer-Flanagan, Barbara Ann. “Promoting the Right of Freedom of Religion: Diverse Pathways to Religious Tolerance and Freedom of Religion and the Implications for American Foreign Policy,” Human Rights Quarterly, vol. 41, 2019, p. 17.
Rubab, Ainee and Nargis Munir. “An Overview of Women Education in Mughal Empire,” AL-QAWĀRĪR, vol. 2, no. 4, 2020, pp. 129-143.
“The Ottoman Empire.”New Zealand History, no date.
Van Schendel, Willem. A History of Bangladesh. Cambridge University Press, 2020.