ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on three great land-based empires in the Middle East, Persia, and India. The Safavid Empire to the east would rule what is now Iran as well as much of Central Asia. The chapter discusses some of the fundamental similarities and differences in the development of three empires, before proceeding to a more detailed history of each. The Ottoman Empire lasted for over six centuries, making it one of the most enduring empires in world history. The institutional mutation whereby generations of sultans were thrown unprepared onto the throne may thus have placed the Empire at a competitive disadvantage with other empires, and led to competitive selection for the eventual eclipse of the Ottoman Empire itself. It served both as the administrative centre of the Empire and as a significant trading centre sitting astride the water link between the Mediterranean and Black Seas and the land link between Europe and Asia.
