At their height, the Ottoman, Mughal and Qing empires were able to bring stability and prosperity to the lands they ruled because of their religious tolerance, support of the arts and effective administration.
Religious tolerance played a major role in helping the Ottoman, Mughal, and Qing empires bring stability and prosperity to the lands they ruled. The Ottoman Empire, whose rulers were Muslim, “did not try to force … [Islam] on all subjects of the empire” (Bingham, 78). Christians and Jews who lived in the empire were considered dhimmis, or People of the Book, who shared some of the same biblical history as Muslims. However, because of their failure to accept Muhammad as the Prophet, they could be specially taxed. However, they were still free to worship as they pleased and have religious leaders in their own communities, as long as they did not try to convert Muslims (Bingham, 79). In 1602, Mehmet III issued a regulation stating that the “protection and