Unit 3: Land-Based Empires Flashcards
Qing Dynasty
Last imperial dynasty of China; preceded by the Ming Dynasty and succeeded by the People’s Republic;
Manchus
Northeast Asian peoples who defeated the Ming Dynasty and founded the Qing Dynasty in 1644, which was the last of China’s imperial dynasties.
Mughal Empire
Muslim state most of India; often had difficulties managing such a large, diverse empire
Ottoman Empire
Islamic state of Turkic speaking peoples lasting from 1453-1922; conquered the Byzantine Empire in 1453; based at Istanbul (formerly Constantinople); encompassed lands in the Middle East, North Africa, the Caucasus, and eastern Europe.
Safavids
A Shi’a Muslim dynasty that ruled in Persia that had a mixed culture of the Persians, Ottomans, and Arabs.
Songhai
An Islamic West African empire that conquered Mali and controlled trade from the into the 16th century; eventually defeated by the Moroccans who were broke after fighting with Portugal
Devshirme
The system by which boys from Christian communities were taken by the Ottoman state to serve as Janissaries (elite military units)
Janissary
Elite Ottoman guard (trained as foot soldiers or administrators) recruited from the Christian population through the devshirme system, that often converted to Islam; utilized gunpowder weapons
Samurai
Class of salaried warriors in feudal Japan who pledged loyalty to a noble called a daimyo (who in turned pledged loyalty to a shogun) in return for land or rice payments
Divine Right
The idea that monarchs are God’s representatives on earth and are therefore answerable only to God.
Absolute Monarchy
System of government in which the head of state is a hereditary position and the king or queen has almost complete power
Versailles
Palace constructed by Louis XIV outside of Paris to glorify his rule and subdue the nobility
Zamindars
Mughal empire’s taxation system where decentralized lords collected tribute/taxes for the emperor
Taj Mahal
Beautiful mausoleum (tomb) at Agra (India) built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (completed in 1649) in memory of his favorite wife; illustrates syncretic blend between Indian and Arabic architectural styles
Tax Farming
Tax-collection system utilized by the Ottoman Empire to generate money for territorial expansion; the government hired private individuals to collect taxes
Protestant Reformation
Religious movement begun by German monk Martin Luther who began to question the practices of the Catholic Church beginning in 1519; split the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the ‘protesters’ forming several new Christian denominations: Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican Churches (among many others)
95 Theses
Arguments written by Martin Luther against the Catholic church. They were posted on October 31, 1517; ultimately led to Martin Luther’s excommunication and the Protestant Reformation
Martin Luther
A German monk who became one of the most famous critics of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1517, he wrote 95 theses, or statements of belief attacking the church practices; began the Protestant Reformation
Counter/Catholic Reformation
The reaction of the Roman Catholic Church to the Protestant Reformation; reaffirming the respect of saints and the authority of the Pope (to which Protestants objected), ended sale of indulgences and simony, created Jesuits missionaries, but also the began the Inquisition
Jesuits
Also known as the Society of Jesus; a teaching and missionary order to resist the spread of Protestantism (a result of the Counter Reformation); sent to China, Japan, and the New World to gain Catholic converts
Indulgence
A pardon given by the Roman Catholic Church in return for repentance for sins and payment; “a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins”
Simony
The buying and selling of church offices, seen as a corrupt practice, this practice was outlawed by the Catholic Church during the Counter Reformation
Inquisition
Roman Catholic tribunal for investigating and prosecuting charges of heresy, a reaction to the Protestant Reformation
Thirty Years War
A war that resulted from the Protestant Reformation (1618-1648 CE); occurred in the Holy Roman Empire between German Protestants and their allies (Sweden, Denmark, France) and the emperor and his ally, Spain who supported Roman Catholicism; ended in 1648 after great destruction with Treaty of Westphalia
John Calvin
1509-1564. French theologian who developed the Christian theology known as Calvinism; attracted Protestant followers with his teachings; believed in predestination
Sikhism
The doctrines of a monotheistic religion founded in northern India in the 16th century by Guru Nanak and combining elements of Hinduism and Islam; a result of the presence of the Mughal Empire in India
Shogunate
Japanese system of government under a shogun (military warlord), who exercised actual power while the emperor was reduced to a figurehead
Daimyo
Japanese feudal lord who commanded a private army of samurai; owed allegiance to the shogun
Jizya
Tax paid by Christians and Jews (and sometimes other faiths) who lived in Muslim communities to allow them to continue to practice their own religion; often utilized by Islamic states to manage diverse populations within their empires
Millet System
A system used by the Ottomans whereby subjects were divided into religious communities, with each millet (nation) enjoying autonomous self-government under its religious leaders; a unique way to manage a diverse empire
Early Modern Period in Europe
Plagues had ended. End of the 100 Year War. Introduction of the Printing Press - Increased Literacy
Russian Expansion. What did expansion rely on? Where did they expand? What did they dominate?
Ivan IV takes control of last Khanates held by Golden Horde descendants. Expansion relied on Gunpowder. Focused on expanding East to control the fur trade.
Emperor Kangxi
Qing Dynasty ruler who expanded China into Taiwan, Mongolia, Central Asia . Imposed a protectorate over Tibet and N. India which reflects China’s power today.
The Rule of Tamerlane
Built a government dependent on the military that encouraged the arts and learning.
Started in Samarkand and butally spread through Persia and Indian. Began the ghazi ideal which encouraged Islamic warriors for centuries. Ineffective rule eventually ended the rule of Tamerlane, but traditions established by his empire led to the Islamic gunpowder empires.
Mehmed II. Who was he? What did he do?
Leader of the Ottoman Empire. Used siege weapons and gunpowder to overtake the highly fortified city of Constantinople and establish the ottoman capital. The city was a nexus of trade with a great location. Expanded to lands around the Black sea and built up the Navy to counter Venice, who he forced to pay a yearly tax.
Suleiman I. Who was he? What did he do?
Leader of the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman empire reaches its peak. Able to send troops all the way into Christian Europe (Vienna) which freaked Europe out!
Shah Abbas I. Who was he? What did he do (3)?
Presided over the Safavid Empire at its height.
Impressed Christian boys into his military.
Imported weapons from Europe and utilized European technology and advice in war.
Controlled religion - used Shi’a Islam as a unifying force and denied legitimacy to any Sunni ruler. (This leads to tension with the Sunni Ottoman empire)
Bureaucratic Elites
Had the power to collect taxes and enforce laws in the name of the king. Weakened feudal lords and legitimized the power of the king.
Oprichnina
A secret police loyal to Ivan IV who kept an eye on the Boyars (rich land owners)
Peter the Great. Who was he? What did he do (6)?
Russian Empire. Consolidated rule by eliminating threats. Supported the church, but reforms made him lose their favor. Reorganized Russia into provinces Used bureaucratic elites (paid government officials) to collect taxes. Created a senate to inform his decisions. Established St. Petersburg which was full of architecture built to show how European Russia was.
What did the Tokugawa Shogunate do to consolidate power?
Dividing Japan into 250 hans, or territories, each controlled by a Daimyo.
BUT they forced the Daimyos to have two homes - one of which was in the capital - making the family stay in the capital so the Daimyo would not gain power when they were away (like Russia and France).
Limited foreign trade and
reduced foreign ideas that could threatened Shogun’s power.
What were the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughals’ religions and what were their levels of religious tolerance?
Ottoman: Sunni Islam. Some tolerance under Suleiman, but not much after him.
Safavid: Shi’a Islam. No religious tolerance. Created hostilities with the Ottomans.
Mughal: Religious tolerance under Akbar. Mainly Sunni and Hindu.
