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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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