Discuss the effects of integrating law and culture in the Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal empires with respect the relationship between religious law and local tradition. You should refer to the Diversity and Dominance section, as well as the text itself

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

ANSWER:
The mainstay of religious law under Islam was the Shari'a, or "law of Islam," which was used to determine whether actions were in accord with the religious texts of Islam. A local ulama, or religious scholar, determined the merits of cases and issued a fatwa. All three empires used local civil law to decide matters that affected non-Muslims and used the Shari'a for Muslims. In the Ottoman Empire, the mufti had the power to review cases and determine proper conduct in accordance with the Shari'a. Historians disagree as to how independent the mufti were, but they note that it was theoretically possible for a mufti to override the decision of a shah or sultan, who was a secular, not religious, leader. The document provided shows that decisions were made in both practical and hypothetical terms to negotiate between religious and secular law and to show where judicial lines should be drawn. Akbar in the Mughal Empire, who attempted to create more harmony among the Hindu majority and the Muslims, determined that Islamic law would be invoked only if it involved Muslims; otherwise local Hindus would follow village custom or Hindu law. Furthermore, he established the unusual precedent of setting himself up as a legal course of appeal, considering himself as "God's infallible earthly representative."