Review these slides to better understand Unit 3: Land-Based Empires (1450-1750ce)
After you've reviewed the slides above, click on the "Unit 3 Quizlet" link to review key terms for the Unit 3 Exam.
Know the Key Empires and their Methods of Rule
Ottoman Empire (Middle East, Eastern Europe & North Africa)
Used the Devshirme System, Janissaries, and Millet System
Controlled trade routes; practiced religious tolerance
Safavid Empire - in Persia (Modern Iran)
Established Shi'a Islam as the state religion.
Fought with the Ottomans over religious & territorial disputes
Mughal Empire - in South Asia (India)
Akbar the Great promoted religous tolerance and bureaucracy
Built monumental architectures like the Taj Mahal
Qing (Manchu) Dynasty - in China
Expanded China's territory into Central Asia, Tibet, and Xinjiang
Continued the Civil Service Exam system; ruled through Confucian ideals
Russian Empire - expanded east into Siberia and west into Europe
Used Orthodox Christianity, czarist autocracy & gunpowder to gain power
Tokugawa Shogunate (Japan) - centralized power & isolated Japan
Created a feudal hierarachy and limited contact with Europeans
How Empires Consolidated Power
1. Military Power
Gunpowder weapons (muskets, cannons) gave rise tot he "Gunpowder Empires": Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal.
Expansion often relied on professional standing armies.
2. Bureaucracy & Centralization
Development of bureaucratic institutions to control large territories
Examples:
Ottoman devshirme (Christian boys trained as loyal administrators/soldiers)
Chinese civil service exams
Mughal zamindar tax collection
3. Religion as Legitimation
Leaders used religion to justify rule:
Divine Right of Kings in Europe
Shi'a Islam in Safavid Iran
Confucianism & the Mandate of Heaven in China
Sunni Islam in the Ottoman Empire
4. Monumental Architecture
Showed wealth, power, and legitimacy:
Taj majal (Mughal India)
Versailles Palace (France)
Mosques of Suleiman the Magnificent (Ottoman Empire)
5. Tribute Systems and Taxation
Used taxes or tribute to maintain authority
Ottoman tax farming
Mughal zamindar system
Qing tributary system
Religious and Cultural Developments
Religious conflicts often accompanied empire-building:
Sunni vs. Shi'a (Ottoman-Safavid rivalry)
Protestant Reformation challenged Catholic authority in Europe
Syncretic religions emerged in the colonies and along trade routes.
Arts and Architecture reinforced religious and political power
Comparisons and Themes
Be ready to compare how Empires:
Consolidated power (military, religion, bureaucracy)
Used art and architecture for legitimacy
Managed diversity (religious, ethnic, linguistic)
collected taxes and maintained order
Expanded through gunpowder and technology
Key Vocabulary & Concepts
Gunpowder Empires
Devshirme
Janissaries
Zamindars
Shi'a vs Sunni Islam
Divine Right of Kings
Civil Service Exam
Tax farming
Tribute System
Mandate of Heaven
Monumental Architecture
Land-Based Empires Study Guide Chart
Analyze the rise and expansion of land-based empires.
Understand the factors that contributed to the rise of land-based empires, including military strategies, political organization, and economic foundations.
Examine the geographic expansion of major empires such as the Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal, Ming, Qing, Russian, and Tokugawa shogunate.
Evaluate the role of gunpowder and military technology in empire-building.
Examine the administrative structures and governance of land-based empires.
Identify the methods used by empires to consolidate and maintain control over diverse populations and vast territories.
Understand the administrative divisions, bureaucracies, and legal systems implemented by different empires.
Assess the role of taxation, tribute systems, and state policies in sustaining imperial economies.
Evaluate the cultural policies and religious practices of land-based empires.
Explore how empires used religion and ideology to legitimize their rule and integrate diverse populations.
Analyze the ways in which empires promoted cultural flourishing through patronage of the arts, literature, and architecture.
Investigate the role of religious tolerance and intolerance in maintaining or disrupting imperial stability.
Understand the economic foundations and trade practices of land-based empires.
Examine the economic policies and practices that supported the wealth and sustainability of empires, such as agriculture, trade, and industry.
Analyze the impact of internal and external trade networks on the economy and society of empires.
Assess the role of state monopolies, mercantilism, and economic regulations in shaping imperial economies.
Analyze the social hierarchies and labor systems in land-based empires.
Understand the social structures and class systems within different empires, including the roles of elites, commoners, and enslaved people.
Explore the labor systems that supported imperial economies, such as serfdom, indentured servitude, and slavery.
Assess the impact of social mobility, patronage, and clientage on the stability and development of empires.
Evaluate the causes and effects of conflict and diplomacy among land-based empires.
Identify the key conflicts and wars involving land-based empires, and analyze their causes and outcomes.
Examine the diplomatic relationships and alliances between empires, and assess their impact on regional and global politics.
Understand the role of military technology, strategy, and logistics in the successes and failures of empires.
Understand the environmental impact of land-based empires.
Analyze the ways in which empires altered their environments through agriculture, urbanization, and resource extraction.
Evaluate the environmental consequences of imperial expansion, including deforestation, soil depletion, and changes in land use.
Investigate the ways in which empires managed and responded to environmental challenges and crises.
Examine the causes and consequences of empire decline and transformation.
Understand the internal and external factors that contributed to the decline and collapse of land-based empires.
Analyze the impact of economic troubles, political corruption, social unrest, and external pressures on the stability of empires.
Explore the legacy of land-based empires and their transformation into modern states or their absorption by other powers.