The Muslim World and Exploration/Colonization

[ShADoW]

Well hence the thread name. Nations like the British, Dutch, Germans, Spanish, French etc have all been involved in exploration for new lands and colonizing them. Why didn't the Muslim world partake in it? Like the Ottomans, Persians and the Mughals, they all had the wealth, knowledge and technology (Im assuming) to build ships and set sail to search for new lands but they did not. What were the reasons to it, were they uninterested, behind the program or didn't see in value, etc? It was a question that I suddenly thought about today.

[Von Pressburg]

A combination of reasons, I would say.

1. The two powerful Muslim countries of the time of exploration/colonisation, the Ottomans and the Mughals, were both land based countries. Both of them were large, had enough resources and vast trade within their empires, so no need expanding overseas.

2. Spain and Portugal holding the Straiths of Gibraltar preventing Muslims from the trade in Atlantic.

3. The Ottoman navy was mainly based in the Mediterranean and was not suited for Atlantic Ocean.

On the other hand, it would be unfair to say Muslims did not take part in exploration and colonising.
I can think of at least two excellent Ottoman admirals of that time.

From wikipedia:
Kurtoğlu Muslihiddin Reis
Kurtoğlu Muslihiddin Reis was the father of Kurtoğlu Hızır Reis, the Admiral-in-Chief of the Ottoman Indian Ocean Fleet who commanded the Turkish naval expedition to Sumatra in Indonesia (1568-1569) in order to protect it from Portuguese aggression. The Ottoman fleet arrived to the Aceh province in 1569, whose ruler, Sultan Alaaddin, had earlier declared allegiance to the Ottoman Empire in 1565. This event marked the easternmost Ottoman territorial expansion. Aceh effectively remained as an Ottoman protectorate until the late 18th century, and an ally of the Ottoman Empire until 1904, when it largely went under Dutch control.

Piri Reis
He is primarily known today for his maps and charts collected in his Kitab-ı Bahriye (Book of Navigation)
The most striking characteristic of the first world map (1513) of Piri Reis, however, is the level of accuracy in positioning the continents (particularly the relation between Africa and South America) which was unparalleled for its time. Even maps drawn decades later did not have such accurate positioning and proportions; a quality which can be observed in other maps of Piri Reis in his Kitab-ı Bahriye (Book of Navigation). Piri Reis' map is centered in the Sahara at the Tropic of Cancer latitude.

Muslims also explored large parts of subsaharan Africa. Saadi dynasty of Morocco conquered large part of the Songhai Empire to controll the transsaharan trade routes. Oman under the Yarubite Imamate conquered Portugal colonies in east Africa and held them well into the 18th century. Muslims certainly were not ignorant towards exploration and colonisation, but after the decline of Ottoman and Mughal empires no muslim state was in a shape to compete with the Europeans.

[antaeus]

the ottomans did involve themselves in colonisation... they were active in india and indonesia, (edit: as pressburg says above)... they also involved themselves in piracy off the americas from a very early time... arabs colonised virtually the entire east coast of africa long before the portugese... the portugese fought all the way against arab and ottoman allied forces when they were exploring the passage to india.

however i think an important point should also be raised.. and that is that the initial impetus to explore (for europeans)was a reaction to the muslim control of trade routes to china and india. the ottomans didn't need to build up colonies around africa or in india as they already had comfortable access to these places... they only expanded into the indian ocean in defence of their existing trade routes.

colonisation of the americas was also spurred on by the need to find a way to china around the ottomans... so once again... if the ottomans felt they controlled the important trade routes, what need is there for them to compete over far flung colonies? they did explore them and took part in piracy... but i imagine they had more pressing issues such as wars in europe and the portugese encroaching the indian ocean

[ShADoW]

Thanks for the excellent answers! +rep

[hellheaven1987]

The answer was Muslim did have colonization, except it started in 8th Century.

[HeroSK]

The answer was Muslim did have colonization, except it started in 8th Century.

Seconded. While Porteguese sailors travelled to east they found Arabs on their way. For example. Vasco de Gama, used an Arab salior to pass the Indian Ocean. Arabs were around there for hundred of years and they were colonized in some places of east africa, india and modern day indonesia.

After, Portugese colonization began, Ottomans did tried to stop them and send a navy aganist them. Eventhough Ottomans were succesfull at some points they eventually lost control of Indian Ocean.

I also agreed with the opinion that Muslims didn't need to colonization. They were sitting on trade routes however europeans needed to both more land and especially speices and luxury of east without muslim intervention.

[hellheaven1987]

Muslim colonization was much more similar as Chinese colonization - both were unofficial, started by trading requirement. Indian also had similar type of colonization too.

[Dr. Oza]

the ottomans had noticed the explorations of Columbus but found no need to go in search of spices and gold when they had plenty of both , but they did go to indonesia and africa to combat european interests

ottoman navy was active throughout the atlantic and even in the carribean at certain intervals

and the piri reis map made in 1500s by an ottoman admiral shows how the ottomans were among the first to correctly understand the geographical and proportional relation between south america and africa and they also mapped some parts of antartica...

hered the most famous one, made in 1513 and the only map made before the 17th century to correctly show longitudinal relations between the continents

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

--

the safavids dgafed

---

dont no bout mughals

---

but like everyone else is saying, muslims had been colonizing and exploring africa and the indian ocean for a while by the time of colombus

[Lysimachus]

I'd say proximity played a factor in all of it. If the Ottomans have to go across the whole Mediterranean and even then, still have to go through the straits of Gibraltar (upon which the actual journey finally starts) then it would be a nightmare trying to make, let alone sustain a colony. Also there's the fact that colonisation is a costly venture which requires constant effort put in to it 'till it is certain that the land they occupy will be permanent settlement. Considering the fact that they had problems maintaining their empire the way it was, going in to colonisation and being uncertain whether their attempts would pay off would be too risky, on top of the fact that as has been stated in the thread they were literally sitting on trade routes (which was the reason why the Americas were discovered when they were).

[Aldgarkalaughskel]

The main reason, I think, is the blanket ban on alcohol which prevented Muslim seamen from travelling long distances, exploring and subjugating those regions.

[Dr. Oza]

why

[Sher Khan]

The Ottomans didn't colonize the Americas for much the same reason the Italian states didn't - a focus eastward to maintain what trade they already controlled, a focus on continental affairs, and Spanish domination of the western Mediterranean.

[CiviC]

There was a true maritime Arab colonial power, the Omanis. They even ousted Portuguese from many places in East Africa.

Also in Middle Ages there was an Arab/Muslim exploration/colonisation in Indonesia.

The Ottomans didn't colonize the Americas for much the same reason the Italian states didn't - a focus eastward to maintain what trade they already controlled, a focus on continental affairs, and Spanish domination of the western Mediterranean.

I agree, even Portuguese were focused Eastwards and the colonisation of Brazil was started more by accident.

[6644kp]

The Omani Empire colonized large parts of east Africa unfortunantly it seems very hard to find more info on it as it seems a very little disccussed topic. Anyway they founded citys like Dar es Saleem and Zanzibar even became independant so you could compare it to South Africa because it too was a colony and then became an independant state ruled by the colonizers.

[Dr. Croccer]

Arabs colonized Somalia, Zanzibar and various other places and penetrated quite deep into the eastern coast generally. Morocco conquered various African kingdoms.

[jankren]

How did you think the Moors get to control Spain if not due to colonization?

And the Ottomans could have also partaken in the colonization of the New World if they werent so stupid for ignoring the warning from the Venetians that the Europeans were trying to seek a way to the east through the west.

[Ludicus]

And the Ottomans could have also partaken in the colonization of the New World if they werent so stupid for ignoring the warning from the Venetians that the Europeans were trying to seek a way to the east through the west.

Hmm? Would you care to elaborate? Ottoman maritime expansion was stopped by straits (east and west. Persian golf/Read Sea/Central Mediterranean)
Battle of Diu at AllExperts

[Dr. Oza]

Hmm? Would you care to elaborate? Ottoman maritime expansion was stopped by straits (east and west. Persian golf/Read Sea/Central Mediterranean)
Battle of Diu at AllExperts

lolz, not really, ottomans operated all over the atlantic for a while as well, look at the piri reis map, made in 1513 which is the most accurate and proportionally correct map of the atlantic until the 1700s

and berber privateers who were under ottoman employ operated all over the atlantic

[Sher Khan]

Piri Reis created a map based on Portuguese findings and not because of any Ottoman operations. The Ottomans weren't active in the Atlantic for the simple reason that sailing off the Atlantic coast of Morocco was a pretty harsh activity with little value. It was easy enough to sail south towards the Canaries and beyond, but the return trip was excruciatingly slow thanks to unfavorable winds (which would reverse, but only during the bad winter months), and usually circled around through Portuguese or Spanish controlled waters.

The Barbary pirates could sail in the Atlantic, but always kept close to the European coastline. In general it was not a welcome prospect (something true for most all Atlantic cultures until the heavy ships of Northern Europe appeared).

[uzi716]

Well Muslims in a way did colonize. An excellent example is Indonesia and Malaysia, both are islands yet they are Muslim countries.

But they never colonized the New World because there was never a need for it. The Mughals had control of India and the Ottomans had control of the Middle East. And most of the expansion was land based. From Arabia they expanded all the way from India to West Africa.