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EARLY CIVILISATIONS
Introduction
Definition of civilisation
This refers to a state in human society that is organised and developed
in all spheres of life. A civilized society has a superior culture compared
to many others. Civilisation is a complex way of life that came about
as people began to develop urban settlements. The earliest civilisation
developed after 3000BC when the rise of agriculture allowed people to
have surplus food and economic stability.
Early civilisations in Ancient Egypt
Evolution and development of Egyptian civilisation
The history of ancient Egypt can be looked at from the onset of dynastic
period ruled by kings or pharaohs. This dynasty started with King Narmer
around 3100 BCE this lasted for more than 300 years ending in 30 BCE with
the death of Cleopatra VII.
Egyptian early civilisation thrived in between the years indicated above and
spread to influence other early civilisations in Greece and Rome.
The history of the ancient Egypt civilisation occurred after a series of stable
kingdoms, separated by periods of relative instability. Egypt reached the
pinnacle of its power in the new kingdom during the reign of Ramesside
period, where it rivaled the Hittite Empire, Assyrian Empire, and Mitanni
Empire after which it entered a period of slow decline. Egypt was invaded and
conquered by a succession of foreign powers such as Canaanites, Libyans,
the Persians and the Macedonians.
In the aftermath of Alexander the Great’s death, one of his generals , Ptolemy
Soter established himself as the new ruler of Egypt. This Greek Ptolemaic
kingdom ruled Egypt until after 30 BC after which it fell to the Roman Empire
and became a Roman province.
Unit
1
2
Ancient Egyptian towns
The success of ancient Egyptian civilisation came partly from its ability to
adapt to the condition of the Nile River valley for agriculture. The predictable
flooding and controlled irrigation of the fertile valley produced surplus crops,
which supported a more a more dense population, social development and
culture. With resources to spare, the administration sponsored mineral
exploitation of the valley and the surrounding desert regions. The early
development of an independent writing system, the Organisation of the
collective structure and agricultural projects, trade with neighbors and
military intended to defeat foreign enemies and assert Egyptian dominance.
Activity 1.1
1. Debate the origin and development of Egyptian civilisation
2. Report your findings in class.
The achievements of the Egyptian civilisation
The many achievements of the ancient Egyptian civilisation include the
quarrying, surveying and construction of techniques that supported the
building of the monumental pyramids, temples and obelisks. A system of
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mathematics, a practical effective system of medicine, irrigation systems and
agricultural production techniques, the first known planked boats, Egyptian
faience and glass technology, new forms of literature and the earliest known
peace treaty made with Hittites.
Egypt left a lasting legacy. Its art and architecture were widely copied and its
antiquities carried to far corners of the world.
Its monumental ruins have
inspired the imagination
of travelers and writers
for centuries. A new found
respect for antiquities in
the early modern period by
Europeans and Egyptians led
to the scientific investigations
of Egyptian civilisation and
greater appreciation of its
culture.
Important!
Egypt is known worldwide for having pyramids. It is this technology of
building pyramids that shaped ancient Egypt civilisation.
The decline of Egyptian civilisation
The decline of the Egyptian civilisation started around 1100 BC when
Pharaoh Ramses III led Egypt into a war in an attempt to conquer Syria.
This war was costly and drained the treasury of Egypt. In 945 BC, Egypt
was conquered and ruled by a succession of different foreign powers. This
marked the decline of the great Egyptian civilisation.
The Benin Empire
It was a pre-colonial empire located in what is now Southern Nigeria. The
Benin Empire was one of the oldest and most highly developed states in west
Africa dating from11th century until it was annexed by the British in 1897.
The origin and development of Benin Empire
The original inhabitants of the Benin Empire were the Edo people who were
ruled by ‘the kings of sky’ known as Ogiso. In the 12thcentury,a great palace
An Egyptian pyramid
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intrigue and battle for power erupted between the warrior crown prince
Ekaladerhan son of the last Ogiso and his young paternal uncle. In anger over
an oracle, prince Okerladerhan left the royal court with his warriors. When
his old father, the Ogiso died, the Ogiso dynasty was ended as the people and
the royal king makers preferred their king’s son as natural next in line to rule.
By 15th century Benin was expanded into a thriving city- state. In the 15th
century, the king in place, the Oba, expanded the city state into an empire.
Map of Benin Empire
The decline of the Benin Empire
The empire declined after 1700. Benin’s power and the wealth was continuously
flourishing in the 19th century with the development of the trade in palm
oil, textiles, ivory and other resources. To preserve Benin’s independence,
bit by bit the Oba banned the export of goods from Benin until there was
exclusively in palm oil.
By the last half of the 19th century, Britain entered the kingdom to seek
control of the trade. They wanted to access the kingdom’s rubber resources to
support their own growing tire market. By 1892 the British had taken control
of the kingdom. In 1897,the Britain attacked and burned the city destroying
everything after seven British representatives had been killed in the empire.
This marked the decline of the Benin Empire.
1000 km0 500
KEY
BENIN
EMPIRE
Benin Empire
Present Day Benin
The Empireís capital
Edo
city
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Activity 1.2
1. Discuss the decline of the Benin Empire drawing comparisons with
the Zulu Empire.
2. Highlight your points in your notebook and present it to your teacher
for marking.
Early Chinese civilisation
Chinese history of civilisation began around 1500 BC along the banks of
the Hwang Ho or Yellow River. The onset of civilisation is believed to have
been as a result of invaders from Northwest who brought the ideas of wheat
and barley cultivation, casting of bronze, writing and use of horses. Because
these techniques were of Mesopotamia, it is therefore right to conclude that
the Chinese civilisation was influenced by Mesopotamians.
Chinese had successful empires which were larger than the previous one.
During the classical period, China was ruled by three dynasties namely;
the Chou,the Ch’in,and the Han. Chou dynasty is the longest starting from
1027BC to 256 BC.
The dynasties were able to establish a strongcentralised system of government
enabling the stability and growth of the kingdom. There were provinces under
bureaus or departments which were responsible to the emperor.
In China there was a Great Wall which was built from Coast stretching
1400 miles into the interior. This wall protected Chinese from the invaders,
especially the people from the North.
The China dynasty is credited to have greatly unified the kingdom. This
was achieved through conquering some states and using some diplomacy
in others by persuading them to accept the emperor of China. The Chinese
kingdom also thrived in the idea of propriety which is suitable conduct of
human beings.
The achievements of the Chinese Civilisation
The ancient Chinese had put a lot of emphasis in technology and arts. These
efforts let to advancement in such fields which are still parts of emphasis by
today’s scholars.
Ancient Chinese invented a lot of things that we still use today. These things
include paper, silk, rubber, wheelbarrows among others.
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The most significant civilisation thatChinese came up with was the gunpowder.
They used gunpowder in wars just like we use today. In fact we don’t use the
gunpowder as much as the ancient China did.
Another significant invention was the fireworks. They were originally used to
put on shows. Later the fireworks were used to scare enemies.
Ancient China had the Silk Road. The road was named due to trading of
silk, gold, ivory, among other commodities. Other commodities sold on the
Silk Road were weapons, silk inventions among others. The Silk Road was
durable and well drained. This allowed the Chinese to trade easily hence
developing their empires.
Ancient China had built a great
wall which was used to keep the
enemies away from north. The
Great Wall was built in the 7th
century BC.
Ancient China is known to have
probably started the growing of
crops such as rice, wheat, corns,
soya beans and other tuber
crops. They used wooden tools
to keep their crops.
Map of ancient Chinese showing early empires
C H I N A
MONGOLIA
INDIA
NEPAL
BHUTAN
BANGLADESH
BURMA
(MYANMAR)
PA
KISTAN
THAILAND
LAOS
VIETNAM
TAIWAN
N. KOREA
S. KOREA
JAPAN
HAINAN
RUSSIA
KAZAKHSTAN
NORTH
PACIFIC
SEA
Philippine Sea
East
China
Sea
Yellow
Sea
Sea of
Japan
Y
e
l
l
w
o
R
i
v
e
r
Y
a
n
g
t
z
e
R
i
v
e
r
Chou Dyanasty
KEY
ZHOU
DYNASTY
Great wall of China
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Activity 7.1
A map of Asia showing the position of the two empires
1. In pairs, look at the map provided above and identify the region
represented on the map.
2. Write the names of the empires that existed in this region.
3. Discuss with you friend what you know about these empires.
The Safavid Empire was founded in 1502. It was in the modern day Iran, then
known as Persia. It covered all Iran, some parts of Turkey and Georgia. The
Safavids came into power after conjuring the Mongols, who had controlled
the Persian region from the 13th Century. The Safavids were from Ardabil in
Azerbaijan where they had established the Safaviyya Sufi order. The Safaviyya
Sufi order was a mystical sect within Islam. It started as a feeling of religious
defilement after the ottomans had declared
t illegal. It then grew and developed in to a
political movement. It had been started by
Sheikh Safi al-Din between 1252 and 1334.
Later on, the empire adopted Shiism as the
state religion. Shias believed that all religious
authority must come directly from Ali the
prophet Mohammed’s son in law.
The empire was a multi-lingual empire. It was
made up of Persians, Azerbaijanis, Kurdish
and the Turkmen. Shah Ismail 1 is considered
to be the starting point of the empire. When
he was twelve years, he led his army in a war
of conquest. He was able to conquer and capture Tabriz. In 1501, after the
successful conquer, he assumed the tittle of the shah of Azerbaijan. He also
declared his independence from the Ottoman Empire. He continued with his
conquest and he was able to expand his kingdom to the south. In 1510 he
declared himself the shah of Persia. He ruled the empire up to 1524, when he
died. His son Shah Tahmasp succeeded him.
The Safavid Empire laid the basis for the beginning of modern Persia.
Shah Ismail of Safavid
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Activity 7.2
1. In groups carry out a research on the origin and development of the
Safavid empire.
2. Present your findings in class.
3. As a class, develop a timeline of the events leading to the development
of the empire.
The head of Sufi order (a mystical sect within Islam) of Safaviyeh (Safawiyyah)
Sheikh Safi al-Din was the patriarch of the Safavids. The Safavids were
originally Sunni Muslims but around 1399, they converted to Shi’ite Muslims.
Yaqub, the son to Iranian Emperor Uzun Hasan (1453-1478) introduced
fiscal reforms associated with revenue collection. He was a Sunni adherent
who attempted to purge the state of taxes introduced under the Mongols
(Earlier invaders of Iran) and not supported by the teachings of Islam. With
a skeptical Islam followers, it was easy to fuel propaganda against the fiscal
reforms introduced by Yakub. Actually, these reforms resulted in economic
decline in that area.
With this economic turmoil and the feeling that the Muslim land of Iran has
been soiled by Mongol infidels, Sheikh Jonayd’s son, Sheikh Heydar began a
Sufi order. What started as a feeling of religious defilement took the shape of
assertion of political authority by the Safavids. Heydar was killed 1488 one
time when he went to wage a war against the enemies of the Shia. The son
of Heydar, Esmail who at the time of the death of his father was one year old
later avenged the death of his father.
Yaqub sent Esmail and his brothers to exile in Fars province instead of
harming them because he was their uncle. When Yaqub died in 1490, Esmail
and his brothers left exile and took refuge in Lahijan, Gilan province. The
Safavids who were now a militant Sufi order appeared around the Caspian
Sea, at Ardabil among the Turkish speaking people.
At the age of thirteen in the year 1500, Esmail set out to avenge the death of
his father. In 1502 he defeated Alvand Beig, ruler of Azerbaijan and seized
Tabriz. Esmail made Tabriz his capital city. The Safavids also invaded and
conquered Armenia and Khorasan making them the strongest force in Iran.
This resulted in the Safavid claiming authority over what had initially been
Persia. In March 1502, Esmail was made King (Shah).
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Activity 7.3
1. In groups and with the help of the map provided, identify the regions
that were conquered by Ismail before his death.
2. Develop a table to show all the Shahs who came after Shah Ismail
and the period they ruled.
3. Carry out a research on the achievements made by each Shah.
4. Note down the achievements in your notebook.
Characteristics of the Safavid Empire
1. The Empire had a theocratic government. A theocratic government
is a government formed and ruled by religious groups and rulers. It s
government whose religious and political functions are intertwined.
The safavids used their religious authority as a means to reign and
control the conquered regions.
2. Shia Islam was the religion of the empire. After Ismail came into power,
he made Shia the religion of the state. People in the empire were forced
to become Shia Muslims.
3. Shah Ismail used Persians in his administration and collection of taxes.
He intended to bring religious unity in Iran.
4. They had a strong centralized government.
5. The Safavids were able to develop a strong central secular government
and administration.
The Iranian Empire tried to expand westwards but was repulsed by the
Ottoman Turks.
Later on in 1507, the Portuguese invaded the Persian Gulf capturing Hormuz
Island. This triggered the Safavids to capture Baghdad in Iraq. Shah Ismail
enjoyed the support he got from his loyal followers.
Another king who helped to strengthen the empire was Shah Abbas 1 the great
who came up with his personal ambition of expanding and strengthening the
powers of central administration at the expense of regional and local officials.
Shah Abbas helped open up Persia to the external market by bringing into
close trading contacts from as far as Europe.
In 1598, Abbas moved the capital of the Empire from Tabriz to Isfahan. It
was during his reign that the empire achieved much cultural advancement
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and also major building program in the empire. Abbas built the royal palace,
royal mosque and the private mosque.
Achievements of the Safavid Empire
Most of the achievements of the Safavid Empire were made during the reign
of Shah Abbas who was also called Abbas the Great. He came into power
in 1587. He was the greatest of the Safavid Shahs. Abbas the Great made
tremendous cultural, political and religious reforms in the region. His reforms
greatly contributed to the growth and development of the empire.
Achievements of Shah Abbas
Activity 7.4
1. From the activity you did in page 31, identify the achievements made
by Shah Abbas.
2. Note the political and cultural achievements he made.
3. Present your work in class.
Other Shahs also contributed to the development of the Safavid Empire. The
following are the general achievements made.
1. Spread of Shia Islam
Shah Ismail declared Shia Islam as the state religion. The Shia Muslims in
Safavid passionately fought for the spread of the sect that eventually became
widespread in the world. The region had previously been dominated by Sunni
Muslims. Their strong belief in their sect made it hard for the spread of the
Sunni sect in the region. In order to promote the spread of Shiism in the
region, the Safavids brought in scholars from Shia countries to form a new
religious elite. They also gave grants to Shia mosques and schools. Other
religions ans sects were discouraged and their places of worship destroyed.
People who held different opinions were prosecuted.
2. Introduction of new architectural designs
The Safavid Empire also came up with new architectural designs. These
designs were used in building mosques and palaces.
3. Establishment of a strong government
The empire came up with a strong religious administration that was
centralised drawing its powers from the Shahs. This helped to unite the nation
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and enabled it grow. The centralised system of government has been copied
by some societies of the world.
4. Growth and development of art and culture
Iran became a great cultural centre. Metalwork, painting, carpets and textiles
were meticulously done. The Shahs supported artwork done by their subjects.
They used good art in the mosque and the palace. The Safavids were artists
themselves. For example, Shah Ismail was a poet and Shah Tahmasp a painter.
They supported art in the empire by opening royal workshops for artists and
creating a favourable climate for the development of art.
4. Development of beautiful cities
The Safavid shahs constructed large-scale cities. These cites were a display
of the their wealth and art. The city of Isfahan, which was the capital city,
for example, had parks, libraries and mosques was very magnificent just like
other big cities of the world.
Isfahan City
5. Development of medicine
6. Growth of the economy
7. Growth of trade
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The Decline of Safavid Empire
After the death of Shah Auragzed in 1707, the empire started to decline
steadily and slowly. Its complete decline was in 1722 during the reign Shah
Sultan Husayn. Sultan Husayn was overthrown by an Afghan warrior called
Mahmud Hotaki.
Factors that led to the decline of the Safavid Empire
There were many problems that faced the empire that eventually led to its
collapse.
1. They had problems such as famine, epidemics,
2. Mismanagement of public money
3. Succession wrangles
4. Military disobedience and external attacks among others. The Safavid
military became so weak that they could not offer effective defense
against the invading Ottoman Turks. So, it is worth to note that the fall
of Safavid had both external and internal factors.
The Shia scholar-priests (Ulama) in Safavid Empire claimed that the reign
of Shahs was indeed a punishment from Allah due to failure to put on the
throne a legitimate successor to Prophet Muhammad. The Ulama claimed
that Shahs defiled the purity of Islam by getting indulging in alcoholism.
The claims by the Ulama gained support of many people making the local
authorities exploit people because the power of the Shahs had gone down.
What resulted was the reduction on the agricultural productivity as well as
decline in local and international trade.
The internal conflicts led to Iran being exposed to attacks from the East. In
1722, Afghan attackers invaded Isfahan city dealing a big blow to the once
flourishing empire.
Group Work
Among the things that the Safavid Empire had an impact on is that it
laid the foundation for the modern day Iran.
In groups, discuss other impacts the empire had on the modern societies.
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The Mughal Empire
The Origin and Development of Mughal Empire
Activity 7.4
Look at the map below and answer the questions that follow.
1. Identify the region in the map.
2. Write down the country represented on the map.
3. In pairs, discuss what you know about the region represented.
The Mughal Empire was founded in 1526 in India. The founder of Mughal
Empire also known as Mogul Empire was Babur. He descended from the
Turco-Mughal Timurid dynasty. Babur had succeeded his father as the ruler
of the state of Farghana in Turkestan when he was only 12. His relatives
however removed him from the throne immediately. Babur was forced to
move to Afghanistan in 1504, where he established his base at Kabul. He later
on moved to India after an invitation by some Indian princes who wanted
to overthrow their leader. Babur was only fourteen years when he became a
prince after capturing Smarkand. By the time he died, Babur controlled all of
northern India from river Hindus in the west to Bihar on the east and from
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Himalayas to the south to Gwalior. He was succeeded by his son Humayun,
who lost the control of the empire to Afghan rebels. He went to settle in
Persia where he established some diplomatic relations with the Safavids. He
alter returned to India in 1555 and was able to re establish the Mughal rule.
He died and was succeeded by his son Akbar.
The Mughals, just like the Safavids were Muslims. They ruled a region with a
high Hindu population. This empire lasted up to 1857 when it declined.
Activity 7.6
1. In groups, research on the other emperors who succeeded Humayun.
2. In your notebook, write the years they ruled and the achievements
they made.
3. Present you findings in class.
Characteristics of the Mughal Empire
1. The Mughal government was an absolute monarchy with centralised
powers.
2. This dynasty had a mixture of Indian and Persian culture and ruled by
a Muslim royal family from Central Asia.
3. Muslims in Mughal Empire belonged to the Sunni sect.
They spoke several languages; Persian language was used in the court
while Arabic was used for religious ceremonies. There was also the
language of the elite, which later on was made official known as Urdu.
4. Unlike other empires, Mughal Empire had religious tolerance whereby
other religious groups were not discriminated upon. For instance,
Hindus held senior administrative positions in the government as well
as the military. This was despite the fact that Mughals were Muslims.
5. Mughal had mixed cultures of the Mongols, Persians and Hindus. This
made Mughal’s culture to be very attractive.
The Mughal Empire under Akbar
The empire thrived during the reign of Babur and his successor Hamayun. The
climax of its success was witnessed during the reign of Akbar the Great who
not only brought economic prosperity but also formed mutual alliances with
a number of kingdoms. There was also some religious harmony under Islam
but towards the end of his reign, a religion known as Din-i-Ilahi developed.
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Activity 7.7
In groups, carry out a research about the reign of Akbar as leader of the
Mughal Empire and then answer the following questions.
1. When did Akbar become leader of the Mughal Empire?
2. What methods did he use to govern the empire?
3. What were his religious ideas in Mughal?
Achievements of the Mughal Empire
1. The empire contributed in the field of medicine. They came up with
cures for various ailments and epidemics. There also existed veterinary
doctors who treated the animals.
2. Akbar came up with ways of standardisation of weights and which
came in handy in the measuring of trade items.
3. Trading activities in the empire intensified. The Mughals in India traded
with Europeans, Asians and Japanese. There was a high demand of
goods from Mughal. Gold like spices, indigo, silk and saltpeter were
trade. In Europe, Mughals goods were in high demand. Trade was
facilitated by the use of a common currency and a good road network
in the empire. They traded items like spices, cotton, textiles, rice and tea
among others.
4. A system of education that took to account pupils’ needs and culture
developed.
5. Establishment of a centralised government that brought together many
smaller kingdoms.
6. Because of the many enemies they had, Mughal revolutionalised their
military by use of canons to fight. They also used rockets, catapults and
explosives in the warfare.
7. There developed industries in Mughal. The manufacturing industry in
Mughal was among the most developed in the world. The key industries
were textiles, shipbuilding and steel. The emperors
8. Agriculture also developed during the Mughals reign. Crops which were
grown included wheat, rice, cotton, opium, indigo and barley. Later on
the Indians in Mughal started growing maize and tobacco.
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Activity 7.8
1. “The textile industry in Mughal was the most developed.” Debate
this statement in class.
2. State the importance of spices and silk in the development of the
Mughal Empire.
The impacts of Mughal Empire
The Mughals left a very rich legacy in India and the regions they controlled.
Even though the region has now been divided into India, Pakistan, Afghanistan
and Bangladesh, their influence can still be seen today.
1. Development of architecture
The architectural design of Moghul Empire was a masterpiece done during
the reign of Jahan. Several magnificent buildings such as the famous Taj
Mahal at Agra Jama Masjid, the Red Fort, Qutb Minar and Badshahi Mosque
were constructed. The tomb of Shah Humayun is claimed to be the start of
the new architectural design in the empire.
2. Persian art and culture
Culture and art developed. Mughal food was unique. They came up with
biryani, kulfi and korma foodstuffs, which have been borrowed by other
societies. There emerged painters and poets who wrote about the empire.
Akbar was himself a poet.
3. Religious tolerance
The reign of Akbar the Great saw a lot of religious tolerance. He appointed
Hindus to senior administrative positions in his court.
4. Development of a new language
Persian was the original and official language in the empire. A new language
developed in Mughal. The language developed was used by the elites. It
borrowed its vocabulary from Persian, Arabic and Turkic. The dialect came
to be called Urdo.
The Decline of Mughal Empire
The decline of the empire started with the death of Shah Aurangzeb in
1707. The wars of succession amongst the three sons of Aurangzeb started
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immediately after his death. These succession wars were to continue way
into early 18th Century.
During the reign of Mohammad Shah, Mughal Empire was invaded by
Persians under Nadir Shah who was very ruthless in dealing with his enemies.
Nadir attacked the city of Delhi in 1739 holding Mohammad Shah hostage.
During this march, many Mughal lost their lives and some were displaced
from their homes. They also plundered the wealth of Mughal Empire leaving
nothing to chance.
Mohammad Shah died in 1748 after he was reduced to ruling only a small
portion around Delhi. He was succeeded by other rulers who could not
match the invasion of other attackers. Rulers after the death of Mohammad
Shah were very incompetent thus could not form a formidable force against
enemies.
Mughal was eventually defeated and with this decline, a number of states
seceded from the larger empire giving rise to independent states in the 18th
Century.
Shah Aurangzeb
Factors leading to the decline of the empire
1. Succession wars
The Mughals did not have any law governing succession. This translated to
war after the death of an emperor. This became very pronounced after the
death of Aurangzeb. His three sons fought each other in order to access the
throne. These wars weakened the dynasty.
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2. Bad policies
Akbar the Great had tried in keeping the unity if the empire. He achieved this
by coming up with policies that united the people. He was very tolerant to the
Hindus and the Sikhs. The other emperors who came after him like Aurangzeb
were not tolerant. Aurangzeb failed to realise that the vast Mughal Empire
depended on the support of all people for its survival. He destroyed Hindu
temples and shrines, put the Hindus under sharia laws and even imposed a
punitive tax on Hindus. This made him loose the support of the Hindus and
there was rebellion.
3. Lack of enough capital
The Mughal emperors had a very lavish lifestyle. This lifestyle was very
expensive for to maintain for. The lavish lifestyle coupled with constant wars
really drained the Mughal Empire of its capital. The running of the empire
was affected, as they could not afford to pay administrators.
4. External attacks
Foreign invasions drained the strength of the Mughals and hastened the
process of disintegration. The invasions by Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah
Abdali drained the Mughals of their wealth. The invasions shook the stability
of the empire.
5. The size of the empire
The Mughal Empire had grown over time and become too large to be
controlled. The first Mughals were efficient and controlled ministers and the
army but the later Mughals were poor administrators.
6. Secession threats
The non-tolerant policies that were adopted by some Mughal rulers led to
dissatisfaction of some people. Also, the big size of the empire made it difficult
to control. Distant provinces became independent. The rise of independent
states led to the disintegration of the Mughal Empire.
Activity 7.9
1. “External threats were the main cause for the decline of the Mughal
Empire.” Debate.
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New words
Sect: A group of people with somewhat dierent religious beliefs
Delement: Is any sexual intercourse with a child under 18years.
Soiled: To make unclean, dirty or lthy especially on the surface
Fiscal reforms: Is the use of government revenue to inuence the economy
Purge: An abrupt or violent removal of a group of people
Turmoil: A state of great disturbance, confusion or uncertainty
Dialect: A particular form of language, which is particular to a specic
religion or social group
Elites: A select group that superior in terms of ability or qualities to
the rest
Masterpiece: A person’s greatest piece of work
Legacy: Something that exists as a result of things that happened at
earlier time.
Shah: Is a title of the safavid monarch.
Sunni: A muslim who believes in one of the two main branches of
Islam.
Multi-language: Using many languages.
Mongols: A nomadic central asian people whose empire was spread
from China to the Danube.
Reign: The period of rule of a monarch.
Secede: Withdraw from memberships of a political union.
End of Unit Exercise
1. Study the origin, development, impact and eventual decline of
Safavid and Mughal empires.
2. Investigate the characteristics of Safavid and Mughal empires.
3. Investigate the achievements of the empires.
4. Explain the factors that contributed to unification of Persia under
the Turkik Safavids.
5. Evaluate Safavid political and cultural achievements under Shah
Abbas.
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6. Explain the factors that contributed to the expansion of Savafid
Empire.
7. Explain the factors that contributed to the expansion of Mughal
Empire.
8. Explain the factors that contributed to the decline of Savafid Empire.
9. Explain the factors that contributed to the decline of Mughal
Empire.
10. Explain the Mughal conquest of India.
11. Explain the success of the Turkic warrior class in uniting the diverse
peoples of Indian subcontinent.
12. Analyse the relationship between Muslims and Hindus in the Mughal
Empire.
13. Compare Akbar’s governing methods and religious ideas with those
of the Mughal Emperors.
14. Assess the importance of Indian textiles, spices and other products
in the network of Afro-Eurasian trade.
15. Discuss the impact of the Safavid and Mughal Empires on the
subsequent history of the Middle East.
