Old World Leaders Flashcards
Akbar (Abu’l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar)
1542-1605 Mughal Emperor - Son of Humayun, y grandson of Mughal founder Babur - Expanded empire to include nearly all of Indian subcontinet during his reign (1556-1605) - Preserved peace in the empire by allowing non-Muslim religions to continue, y united them through an Indo-Persian culture
Algernon Sidney
1623-1683 English politician from London - Republican political theorist, member of the Long Parliament (1640-60), y commissioner of the trial of King Charles I - Wrote Discourses Concerning Government, a text opposing the divine right of kings, which was highly influential in the founding of the USA, y later led to his execution for treason
Ashoka
268-232 BCE - Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty - Ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent - Converted to Buddhism after the devastating Kalinga War (261 BCE), y propagated it across his realms - Wrote the Edicts of Ashoka, a collection of 33 inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka scattered through the empire, detailing his thoughts on Buddhism y his society
Attila the Hun
395-453 leader of the Hunnic Empire (434-53), which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River, and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea - One of the most feared enemies of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires - Led successful attacks on Gaul, Italy, y the Balkans - Hunnic Empire collapsed shortly after his death
Bernardo O’Higgins
1778-1842 Chilean independence leader - Freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence (1810-21) - Wealthy landowner of Spanish and Irish ancestry - Supreme Director of Chile (1817-23) - Considered one of Chile’s founding fathers
Cardinal Richelieu
1585-1642 French clergyman - Became Louis 13th’s chief minister in 1624 - Established the Academie Francaise in 1635 to govern the language - Featured in The Three Musketeers
Catherine de’ Medici
1519-1589 Italian noblewoman from Florence - Queen Consort of France (1547-59), married to King Henry II - Served as regent y advisor to her sons King Charles IX (1560-74) y King Henry III (1574-89), y fought against the rebelling Calvinist Huguenot Protestants - Part of the wealthy House of Medici banking family of Florence, who produced 4 popes y 2 queens, y helped fund the growth of the Renaissance
Catherine the Great (Catherine II / Yekaterina Velikaya)
1739-1796 Russian Empress - Reigned 1762-1796 - Longest-reigning y most renowned female leader of Russia - Born in Pomerania, Poland (then part of Prussia) - Reigned over Russian Golden Age, turning it into a great power of Europe - Came to power following a coup d’état when her husband, Peter III, was assassinated
Charlemagne
742-814 CE - King of the Franks (768-814); Holy Roman Emperor (800-14) - Aka Charles the Great, Carolus Magnus, Karl der Große - United much of Europe during the early Middle Ages, y called the “Father of Europe” - Spurred the Carolingian Renaissance, a period of energetic cultural y intellectual activity within the Western Church - His support of the Bishop of Rome led to the eventual split of Rome y Constantinople in the Great Schism of 1054
Cleopatra (Cleopatra VII Philopator)
69-30 BCE - The last active pharaoh of Ptolemaic Dynasty (Macedonian Greeks that ruled Egypt 323-30 BCE) - Represented herself as an incarnation of goddess Isis - Married her brother Ptolemy XIV, but had a relationship y son with Julius Caesar - Allied with Marc Antony against Augustus Caesar, then committed suicide with him after defeat
Constantine the Great (Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus)
272-337 CE - Roman Emperor (306-312) - Born in modern-day Serbia to an army officer, Flavius Valerius Constantius, who became the deputy emperor in the West - Implemented many admin y military reforms, leading to victories against barbarians on the frontiers - Converted to Christianity on his deathbed, y declared religious tolerance in the empire - Namesake of Constantinople
El Cid
1043-1099 Castillian Spanish military leader - Born Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar; called El Cid by the Moors (meaning The Lord), y El Campeador by Christians (meaning The Outstanding Warrior) - Fought for and against Muslim rulers in various regions - Took Valencia in 1094 and ruled over it - Idolized champion figure in Spain
Eleanor of Aquitaine (Aliénor d’Aquitaine)
1124-1204 Queen consort of France and England - Married King Louis VII in 1137 - That marriage anulled in 1152, y married Henry II of England - Mother of Richard the Lionheart y King John - Led armies several times in her life, y participated in the unsuccessful Second Crusade - One of the most wealthy y powerful women of the High Middle Ages
Frederick the Great (Frederick II)
1712-1786 - King of Prussia (1740-86) - Military leader; conquered much of Poland; victorious in Seven Years War (1755-64) - Administrative reforms; patron of the arts - Built Prussia into leading role in Europe
Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV Vasilyevich / Ivan Grozny)
1530-1584 Russian rule - Grand Prince of Moscow (1533-47), then Tsar of All the Russias (1547-84) - Reigned during Russian conquest and expansion - Mentally ill with fits of killing, incl the killing of his son in 1581 - Transformed Russia from a medieval state into an empire, though at immense cost to its people, and its broader, long-term economy
Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc)
1412-1431 French military hero - Standard bearer who led French to swift victories in the Hundred Years War (1337-1453) - Said she received visions of the Archangel Michael, instructing her to support Charles VII y recover France from English domination - Nicknamed “The Maid of Orléans” - Made a Catholic saint in 1920 - Captured, y burned at the stake at age 19
José de San Martín
1778-1850 Argentine general - The prime leader of the southern y central parts of S America’s successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire - Led the liberation of Argentina (1816), Chile (1818), y Peru (1821), becoming Protector of Peru - Met with Simon Bolivar in 1822, who then took over liberation of Peru, y San Martin suddenly resigned y moved to France
Justinian I
482-565 Byzantine emperor (527-565) - Sought to revive the empire’s greatness y reconquer lost western half of Roman Empire - Defeated the Vandals y Ostrogoths to reclaim Italy y Iberia - Reformed Roman law, with the Corpus Juris Civilis, which is still basis of civil law in many modern states
Louis XIV of France
1638-1715 King of France (House of Bourbon) - Aka the Sun King or Louis the Great - Reigned 1643-1715 (72 years), longest of any European monarch - Adhered to the Divine Right of Kings, y compelled the aristocracy to live with him at Versailles, which consolidated a system of absolute monarchical rule in France that endured until the French Revolution (1789-99) - During his reign, France was the leading European power, y fought in several major wars
Louis XVIII of France
1755-1824 - King of France (1814-24) from the House of Bourbon - Known as “The Desired” (le Désiré) - Crowned after the overthrow of Napoleon y the Bourbon Restoration - Dethroned briefly during the Hundred Days of Napoleon’s return in 1815 - Brother of Louis XIV
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
519-430 BCE - Roman consul y dictator (460-458 BCE) - Model of civic virtue - Called to defend Rome from enemy armies, then resigned dictatorship after, returning to his farm - Often compared to George Washington - Namesake of Cincinnati
Major Chinese dynasties
- 1644-1911 - Qing 清
- 1368-1644 - Ming 明
- 1271-1368 - Yuan 元
- 960-1279 - Song 宋
- 618-907 - Tang 唐
- 220-265 - 3 Kingdoms 三国
- 206 BCE-220 CE - Han 汉
- 221-206 BCE - Qin 秦
- 1045-256 BCE - Zhou 周 (W and E)
Marcus Aurelius
121-180 CE Roman emperor (161-180) - The last of the so-called Five Good Emperors - Practitioner of Stoicism, y his writing, The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, is best source of modern understanding of Stoic philosophy - Successfully fought Parthians y Germanic tribes
Maria Theresa (Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina)
1717-1780 from Vienna - Queen regnant of the Habsburg dominions (Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, etc.) - Her ascension sparked nine-year War of the Austrian Succession (1740-48) - Mother of Joseph II y Marie Antoinette
Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius)
83-30 BCE Roman politician y general - Played a critical role in the formation of the autocratic Roman Empire - Supporter y general of Julius Caesar, y formed the Second Triumvirate (43-33 BCE) after his death, with Octavian (Augustus) y Marcus Aemilius Lepidus - Married Octavian’s sister, but fell in love with Cleopatra while ruling Rome’s eastern provinces, y committed suicide with her after defeat in the ensuing civil war
Mary, Queen of Scots (Mary Stuart, Mary I)
1542-1587 Queen regnant (actual monarch) of Scotland (1542-1567) - Queen consort (wife) of France (1559-1560) - Crowned as an infant - Suspected of murdering her husband, y fled to England - Imprisoned by Elizabeth I for 18 years, then executed
Mehmed the Conqueror (Mehmed II)
1432-1481 Ottoman sultan (1451-81) - Conquered Constantinople in 1453, ending Eastern Roman Empire - Later conquered Anatolia y Bosnia - Considered a hero in Turkey
Napoleon III (Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte)
1809-73 - The only President (1848–52) of the French 2nd Republic; and, as Napoleon III, the Emperor (1852–70) of the Second French Empire - Nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte - Reformed, modernized, y expanded the French Empire - Defeated y captured in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71), y exiled to England
(Neferneferuaten) Nefertiti
1370-1330 BCE Egyptian queen - Great Royal Wife (chief consort) of Pharaoh Akhenaten - Known for a religious revolution, in which they worshiped one god only, Aten, or the sun disc - Reigned during wealthiest period of Ancient Egyptian history - Step-mother of Tutankhamun
Nero
37-68 CE Roman emperor (54-68 CE) - Last of Julio-Claudian Dynasty - Usually associated with tyranny y extravagance, but was popular with the lower class - Executed his own mother, y his advisor Seneca - Said to have martyred Christians y “fiddled” (on his lyre) during Great Fire of 64 CE - Considered by some to be the Antichrist, y is source of the number 666 - After successful rebellions in Gaul y Hispania, he fled Rome y committed suicide
Oliver Cromwell
1599-1658 English military and political leader - Became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England (1653-1658) - Nicknamed “Old Ironsides” - Leader of the New Model Army during English Civil War (1642-51) on side of the “Roundheads” (Parliament) - Defeated Charles I, and took control as a military dictator - Died at age 59 of natural causes - His son Richard Cromwell served as Lord Protector 1658-59
Pericles
495-429 BCE Ancient Greek statesman, orator, y general of Athens - Led Athens to world prominence by promoting art y literature - Called “The 1st citizen of Athens” - Started most of the construction projects on the Acropolis, including the Parthenon (432 BCE)
Peter the Great (Peter I)
1672-1725 Russian Czar y Emperor (1682-1725) - Expanded Russia into huge empire y European power - Led a cultural revolution that replaced some of the medieval social y political systems with ones that were modern y based on The Enlightenment
Ramesses II
1303-1213 BCE Egyptian pharaoh - Aka Ramesses the Great or Ozymandius (from Greek transl.) - Reigned 1279-1213 BCE as 3rd pharaoh of 19th Dynasty - Most powerful of Egyptian Empire - Thought to be the Pharaoh from the biblical Exodus - Led military expeditions against Canaan y Nubia
Robert the Bruce (Robert I)
1274-1329 Scottish leader - King of Scots (1306-1329) - Took part in William Wallace’s revolt against Edward I, y led Scotland during First War of Scottish Independence (1296-1328) - Defeated Edward II in 1314 at Battle of Bannockburn - Recognized by Pope John XXII as king of an independent Scotland in 1324
Saladin (An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub)
1137-1193 Sunni Muslim Kurdish leader - First sultan of Egypt y Syria (1174-1193) - Founder of Ayyubid Dynasty (1171-1260), which ruled large parts of the Middle East - Fought against Christian crusaders in the Levant, defeating them in 1187
Simón Bolívar
1783-1830 Venezuelan military y political leader - Led the secession of what are now the countries of Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, y Panama from the Spanish Empire - His victory at the Battle of Carabobo in 1821 led to the independence of Venezuela y establishment of the Republic of Gran Colombia - Served as president of Gran Colombia (1819-30) until its dissolution, as well as Bolivia (1825) y Peru (1824-27) - Viewed as a national icon in much of modern S America - Died of tuberculosis at age 47
Suleiman the Magnificent (Suleiman I)
1494-1566 Turkish sultan of Ottoman Empire - Longest-reigning (1520-1566) - Conquered Serbia, Greece, y Hungary - Oversaw the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire in its artistic, literary, y architectural development - Married Hürrem Sultan, a converted Ruthenian Christian woman from his harem
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord
1754-1838 French politician y diplomat - Career spanned the regimes of Louis XVI, the years of the French Revolution, Napoleon, Louis XVIII, and Louis-Philippe - Napoleon’s chief diplomat - The name “Talleyrand” has become a byword for crafty, cynical diplomacy
Timur
1336-1405 Turko-Mongol conqueror - AKA Amir Timur or Tamerlane - Founder of the Timurid Empire y Dynasty in Persia and Central Asia - The last of the great nomadic conquerors of the Eurasian Steppe - Gained control of the Chagatai Khanate in 1370, then led campaigns which defeated the Mamluks of Egypt, the emerging Ottoman Empire, y the declining Delhi Sultanate; causing the deaths of estimated 17 mil people - Used Islamic symbols y language, y referred to himself as the “Sword of Islam”
Tokugawa Ieyasu
1543-1616 - Founder y first Shogun (1603-05) of Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan from 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868 - One of the three unifiers of Japan, along with his former lord Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Vercingetorix
82-46 BCE - Chieftain of the Arverni tribe in central France - United the Gauls in revolt against Roman forces led by Julius Caesar - Won the Battle of Gergovia (52 BCE) - Captured and paraded through Rome during Caesar’s triumph, then strangled to death
Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
1820-1878 - King of Sardinia (1849-61), then King of Italy (1861-78) - 1st King of a united Italy since the 6th century - Called the Father of the Fatherland (“Padre Della Patria”)
