The Ottoman and Mughal Empires Essay

Islam #2
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The Ottoman and Mughal Empires
In the matter of the Mughal and Ottoman empires, I do not agree with the statement that purports that these two successful empires were simply extensions of Persian and Arabian Islamic empires and that they contributed nothing towards the development of Islamic governance. First off, it is pointless to argue that these two empires did not encompass dense backdrops of traditional Islamic governance as espoused by their Arab and Persian counterparts. This is because both of these empires were founded on Islam, and as such, Islam strongly dictated many of their customs, activities and even decisions. For instance, the establishment of elite ruling classes that are typical in Islamic states were also strongly represented in both of these empires. For example, the Mughal Empire developed an inclusive ruling elite, which highlighted the influence of Islamic governance culture.[Kinra, Rajeev. "Master and Munshī A Brahman secretary's guide to Mughal governance." Indian Economic & Social History Review 47, no. 4 (2010): 527-561.]
The Ottomans also portrayed some hints of Islamic governance. This was particularly outright in the way the state established power over the clergy, even though both institutions were extremely important and powerful. This form of government can be attributed to some of the pre-Islamic traditions that Turkey learnt from the Islamic state of Iran. This greatly influenced the decisions that both institutions made, and as such, confidently resembled the Islamic governance methods employed by Persian and Arab empires.[Murphey, Rhoads. "Continuity and discontinuity in Ottoman administrative theory and practice during the late seventeenth century." Poetics Today (1993): 419-443.]
However, there are some striking differences from traditional Islamic governance that can be spotted in both of these empires. For instance, the Mughal Empire did not stamp out the local societies in its conquered regions. Instead, it allowed them to flourish and develop while under strict governmental observance. The Ottoman Empire, also exercised some form of religious leniency. They did not strictly enforce the religion of Islam on every state that they conquered. Instead, they enforced loyalty to the Sultan and the empire, which they greatly valued. This is a rather clear indicator that they did contribute towards the growth of Islamic governance. This religious tolerance can be witnessed today in countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia where although the majority of the population is Islamic, the states are civil and not Islamic.[Kinra, Rajeev. "Master and Munshī A Brahman secretary's guide to Mughal governance." Indian Economic & Social History Review 47, no. 4 (2010): 527-561.] [Murphey, Rhoads. "Continuity and discontinuity in Ottoman administrative theory and practice during the late seventeenth century." Poetics Today (1993): 419-443.]
The Mughal Empire particularly portrayed a keen interest in the people that they conquered, based on their desire to fuse tribal bonds and religious, in this case Islamic, identity. Such approaches are different from the conservative appr...