Unit 3: Land-Based Empires, 1450-1750

"Every five years, the sultan's officers visit the Christian villages of the Balkans and select the finest boys between the ages of eight and eighteen. These boys are taken from their families, converted to Islam, and trained in the palace schools or

"He ordered that no man should be interfered with on account of religion, and that each person should be allowed to follow the religion to which he was inclined. He recognized the wisdom in all faiths and the folly in claiming that one alone held all

"The way of governing the empire lies in strict enforcement of the laws combined with benevolent treatment of the people. We, though coming from beyond the Great Wall, have adopted the teachings of the ancient Chinese sages. We revere Confucius and m

"We command that the Indians be well treated as our free vassals, as they are. Yet we grant to you the Indians of such-and-such a village so that you may make use of them in your farms and mines, taking care to instruct them in the matters of our Hol

"Shah Abbas rebuilt Isfahan as the most splendid city in the world, with grand mosques, bridges, and bazaars. He reformed the army, creating units of slaves and converted Christians loyal only to the crown, reducing his dependence on the unruly Qizil