Diversity in Empires

Think about the empires we've encountered so far and the different ways that they deal with diversity. WRITE a blog post in which you consider the following: in which ways do the three primary Islamic empires tolerate diversity and in which ways do they seek to eradicate or stifle diversity? And is there a qualitative difference between religious and ethnic tolerance?

Ottoman Empire: Since the Ottoman Empire is so vast, diversity in ethnicity, religion, and language is inevitable. To control the wide spectrum of cultures and still allow cultural freedom, the Ottoman Empire imposed a tax on non-Muslim citizens. However, these citizens, after paying the tax, received the right to practice the religion of their choice. The Ottomans realized it was easier to monitor religion, rather than language and ethnicity, because people are born with their language and certainly with their ethnicity, which is of course unchangeable. Although common language is extremely vital to a nation's ability to work together, the Ottoman Empire must have thought that religion (and its freedom) is the most important element of national cooperation.

Mughal Empire: The Mughal Empire, located in present day India, contained a split religious population between Islam and Hinduism (for the most part). Hinduism remained the majority, but Akbar, the emperor of the Mughals, chose to create a hybrid religion between Hinduism and Islam to provide religious satisfaction for the population. Akbar sought to resolve the potential clash in religions perhaps to prevent any major outbreaks caused by difference in beliefs. Islam was a growing faith worldwide, so Akbar maybe thought he must make space for a growing tradition among his people. Also, by creating his new religion, he made himself "God." Religion often links to a certain ethnicity, which means the Mughal Empire was generally split up into Middle Eastern people (mostly Muslims) and present day Indian people (Hindus). Since these two ethnicities remained dominant in the Mughal Empire for the most part, diversity in ethnicity was never really an issue.

Safavid Empire: Unlike the Mughal and Ottoman Empires, the Safavid Empire forced Shia Islam upon all of its population. This principle promoted Shi'a Islam culture in the Middle East and shaped Persian culture. With this specific form of Islam came a fairly specific ethnic group, so common ethnicity was easier to manage. However, this Shia form of Islam often conflicted with surrounding nations who were mostly Sunni Muslims.