English split. Things never happened before. Backs to Europe, the Queen of England in the 16th century chose to face the East face. Queen Elizabeth I's economic and foreign policies have been heavily influenced by his close relationship with the Islamic world. The fact that today is largely ignored.
Since being crowned queen in 1558, with good intentions, Elizabeth established diplomatic, trade and military ties with Islamic leaders in Iran, Turkey and Morocco. In 1570, when British Protestants made it clear their unwillingness to return to Catholicism, the pope asked Elizabeth to put down the crown. Of course Elizabeth did not want to.
Soon, Spanish Catholic troops invaded England. British merchants are prohibited from trading with Spanish and Dutch merchants. The political and economic isolation of the Protestant country was deliberately committed to undermining adherents who chose to escape from Catholicism.
Elizabeth did not lose her mind. He contacted his colleagues from the Islamic world. Spain was the old rival of the Ottoman Ottoman Empire which was then led by Sultan Murad III. The Ottoman Ottoman dynasty also still shines with the powers extending from North Africa to Eastern Europe to the Indian Ocean. Conquest for the sake of conquest was not new to the Ottoman Turks.
Elizabeth herself hoped that an alliance with the Emperor could make British merchants enter the markets of the East. On the other hand, Elizabeth also established relationships with Ottoman rivals, the Shah Per sia and the Moroccan leaders.
The problem is that the Ottoman Turks were too strong for the western European island country that Elizabeth led. Elizabeth needed a trade alliance, but England's finances were not that strong at the time. Elizabeth then proposed in the form of the company as the proposal of his sister, Mary Tudor.
The Company is owned by several shareholders. The company's capital is used to finance trading operations. While the profit or loss of the company will be shared. Elizabeth was very enthusiastic in supporting the Muscovy Company's trade mission to Persia, Turkey Company in Ottoman Turks territory, and East India Company, which later became a tool to rule India.
As the money flowed into Britain's coffers, Elizabeth began writing letters of praise to her Ottoman Ottoman sultan's counterpart. To the Catholic camp, Elizabeth reinforced the attitude by declaring herself in the vanguard of rejecting worship of the statue. Like Muslims, Protestants refuse to worship objects and admit that worship to God does not need an intermediary. While Catholics use the diocese as a bridge between the servant and his God.
Two of Elizabeth's attitudes toward these two camps are well done. Thousands of British merchants can reach markets that today may not be imagined ever touched, such as Aleppo in Syria and Mosul in Iraq.
The Ottoman Turks themselves saw Britain's ability to attract people of different faiths to work together as a force, not a threat. In fact, some prominent British figures expressed the unity of Allah SWT and the truth of Muhammad SAW as the messenger of Allah SWT. Perhaps they see the teachings of Islam better than their Protestant teachings.
The English Aristrokrat was so impressed with the silk and spices of the East. However, Turkey and Monaco are not interested in British wool. They are more interested in weapons. In return, Elizabeth handed over metal collected from Ka tolik churches, including church bells to Turkey. Queen also do the same thing with Morocco, England sells weapons to buy potassium nitrate as a material of gunpowder and sugar so that Elizabeth can still taste his favorite sweet foods.
Sugar, silk, carpets, and spices are elements that shape consumption patterns, decorations and clothing of the English. Words such as candy (per men) and turkuwaz (blue stone from Turkey) are plural in the ears of British citizens. In fact, William Shakespeare was inspired by Othello's writings after the Moroccan ambassador visited Britain for six months.
Although the company and British commercial cooperation with the Islamic world is quite successful, the British economy still can not survive. After the death of Elizabeth in 1603 AD, King James I who succeeded him preferred to return to Spain and end the period of British estrangement from Europe.
The policy that Elizabeth made during the good relationship with the Islamic world, especially the company model to be a model that survive until now. This model is also used to finance Victoria Company which is the first British colony company in North America.
Islam in all its manifestations, whether to power, military or trade, has an important role in British history. Today, as anti-Islamic rhetoric erupts in Europe, revisiting past history may be useful.