"All great things must come to an end." These famous words, now a cliche, are very true. A wonderful example being the three Muslim empires. The three Muslim empires that formed the collapse of the Abbasid Empire had similarities regarding the causes of deterioration; despite the similarities, they were quite different from one another.
When looking at Muslim kingdoms, several parallels can be seen. For example, the period of decline for all three was brought on by the reign, or end of reign, of a leader; Ottomans fell apart after Saleiman the Lawgiver ruled, Safavids at the end of Abbas I's career, and the Mughals during and after the rule of Aurangzeb. Also, Europeans played a role in the end of power for all three. .
The Ottoman Empire declined for a period of roughtly three centuries; during this time, the state had endless internal conflict. During the seventeenth century, the Ottomans retreated from some of their vast borders, hoping to reverse the effects of overextension. It was during this time that corruption in the bureaucracy became apparent. Over the centuries, many sultans became reduced to "puppets", operated by viziers or Janissaries, causing more confusion. Decline in military power, the focus of the Ottoman government, occurred because of Janissary refusal to accept new war technologies. The Ottoman's trade monopoly in the Mediterranean area was lost becauseof the Portugese discovery of a trade route around Africa. One of the final factors was the introduction of more money into the Ottoman economy, causing inflation and other crises. These, and other, contributions led to Ottoman collapse in the early twentieth century. .
The Safavid Empire's ending was much more rapid then that of the Ottomans. Abbas I left no apparent successor when he died, causing confusion in the government; all other later leaders proved unsuccessful. The lack of a relatively strong military or trade network proved harmful also.
