Ottoman vs. Mughal

Comparison of Islamic Empires Although the Ottoman Empire and the Mughal Empire are similar in that they both have economic systems centered around trade, they differ in regards to the social ability of slaves and the political rulers. Both Islamic Empires are centered in major trading cities, the capital of the Ottoman Empire being one of the largest trading cities in the world. This causes their economic system to be solely dependent on trade with other societies. Both empires make a considerable amount of their profit exporting goods unique to their region. Both empires also earn a lot of power by controlling these trade cities and regulating the merchants and buyers. Despite their similar economic system, the two empires vary greatly in their political systems. While the Ottoman Empire is a Muslim community ruled by Muslim leaders, the Mughal Empire is one of the only empires to be ruled by a minority. The Mughal Empire consists of a large Hindu population ruled by a very small Muslim population. This significant difference in politics ultimately leads to the social differences between the two empires. The social structures of the Ottoman and Mughal Empire are extremely different. In the Mughal Empire, slaves are strictly bound to their status for life. Slaves could not move social classes or achieve any type of success, unlike slaves in the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman slaves were permitted gain status. An Ottoman slave could easily become a general of the Ottoman army. While the slave populations of both empires were comprised mostly of non-Muslims, the non-Muslim slaves of the Ottoman Empire were granted much more freedom than the slaves of the Mughal Empire. While the Empires are similar in some respects, they have more differences than similarities. The differences, social structure and political structure, are much more relevant to the Empires than the similarities between the trade-heavy Empires.