OverviewWhat were the advantages and disadvantages of a land empire compared to a maritime empire? (The Earth and Its Peoples, 526) Classical imperial rule has some notable advantages and disadvantages. Often the disadvantages of such a rule are the same as its advantages. The most obvious benefits come from conquest itself: the acquisition of land and resources. Often, dominion can be difficult to extend over territory, because the complexity of its government increases as the state's population increases. Maritime empires, such as Great Britain (UK) and the United Netherlands, gained their wealth through foreign trade and political strength. Controlling the seas required constantly evolving technology, which the early modern empires of the East largely ignored. Three of these notable empires were the Ottoman Empire, the Safavid Empire and the Mughal Empire. The Ottoman Empire originally grew out of control of trade routes and effective military reward systems. The Safavids emerged from the religious and political aspirations of Ismail I, hereditary leader of a military religious brotherhood, Safaviya. The Mughal Empire was created and ruled by the descendants of Timur, a 14th century Asian conqueror. It is important to note the commonalities between these three empires. All three were of Turkish origin and practiced some form of Islam. After the initial conquests, they were composed of mixed cultures, used land as military payment, and exercised religious beliefs in their domination of conquered lands. The power of the Ottoman Empire was visible in its military might and strategic invasions. From a number of decisive battles (Conquest of Constantinople, Battle of Chaldiran, etc.) in the late 14th and early 15th centuries,...... middle of paper ...... others Ottoman reformers. What do you think made it so difficult to achieve meaningful reforms? (The Human Record, 218) It is difficult to say based on this document, but I believe that the diminishing power of the Sultan and the reorganization of the state hierarchy were the greatest obstacles to reform. I think what made it so difficult to achieve the proposed reforms was the corruption throughout the state hierarchy. Truly effective reforms must be implemented by an authority and accepted by the general population. Although many changes took place over the next century, from what I can tell, they were not due to the reforms of those like Mehmed Pasha, but rather the natural evolution of the state. Works Cited Beck et al. “World history: models of interaction”. Chapter 18, section 3; audio supplement. McDougal Littell. 2005.