Early Modern World? Flashcards
Early Modern Europe, 1450-1789
Term developed by historians
Break between Middle Ages and the Modern era marked by the first voyage of Columbus (1492) and beginning of the Protestant Reformation (1517)
Idea of “Europe” derived more from culture than geography
Word “Europe” was first used by Greek writers in the Seventh Century to designate their side of the Mediterranean
Idea of “Europe” similar to the notion of “modern” – term used consciously by people to differentiate themselves from others
Scholars divided European history into three parts:
- Ancient (end of the Roman Empire in the West to Fifth Century)
- Medieval (Fifth Century to the Fifteenth Century)
- Modern (Fifteenth Century to their own time)
Beyond Europe c.1500:
Greatest concentrations of wealth, power and knowledge were in the Eurasian landmass: The Middle East, India and China – all sites of advanced cultures and powerful states
African Continent = many different societies emerged e.g. Islamic urban civilisations of the Maghreb to gatherers of the Kalahari
American Continent = world that stood completely apart and home of human communities which for millennia lived without contact with people
Islamic States of the Middle East:
Regions best known to Europeans = Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East
Two great states dominated in the Middle East:
Anatolia and Persia
Ottoman Empire:
Emerged among Turks of Anatolia
Formed most powerful element
Became greatest Muslim power in the world
1453: Turkish armies under Mehmet the Conqueror had taken Christian Constantinople and turned it into the capital – renamed Istanbul (an expansive Muslim state)
Ottoman military supremacy was matched by its economic strength
Controlled overland trade via the Silk Routes through inner Asia
Safavid Dynasty:
Founded in Isfahan in 1501 (lasted until 1736)
Represented crucial development in history of Islam as Safavids converted from majority Sunni tradition to Shi’ism
Safavids refused to submit to the Ottomans
Powerful leader = Shah Abbas the Great (ruled from 1587 to 1629) – Persian culture flourished and spread civilisations and states in South and South-East Asia
Indian subcontinent encompassed an area as large as Europe – had cultures, religions and states that showed a history of civilisations for older than Europe
The African World:
Africa = many distinct regions, separated by climate, culture and history
North Africa = expansion of Islam between 800 and 1300 created powerful Muslim states
In c.1500 Arabs dominated the East African coasts, but Europeans were present in the West
Ming China:
Ming dynasty founded in 1368 – China was the largest unified state in the world
Had centralised, bureaucratic government – by c.1500 exercised authority over 155 million people
Centre of bureaucracy = imperial throne
The Americas:
People lived in many diverse environments
‘Early Modern’
- Normative term, refers to period and when/where began
- Term has certain connotations and cultural assumptions
- Refers to European events
Problem’s with the term ‘Early Modern’:
- Definition – debate over when the period begins and what it means
- European Concept – Eurocentric debate
- Anarchism – how can you describe something that doesn’t exist yet
