Period 2 Biographical Quiz: expanded

Akbar the Great

Mughal ruler of India who expanded the empire, promoted religious tolerance, reformed taxes, and encouraged cultural blending.

Ana Nzinga

Queen of Ndongo (Angola) who resisted Portuguese colonization and the slave trade, using alliances and warfare to defend her people.

Askia Muhammad

Songhai ruler who expanded the empire, promoted Islam, improved government, and made Timbuktu a center of trade and learning.

Atahualpa

The last Inca emperor, captured and executed by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, marking the fall of the Inca Empire.

Babur

Founder of the Mughal Empire in India, a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan who established Mughal rule in 1526.

Bartolomeu Dias

Portuguese explorer who was the first European to sail around the southern tip of Africa, opening a sea route to Asia.

Charles II

English monarch restored to the throne after Cromwell’s rule, known for bringing back culture and entertainment during the Restoration.

Christopher Columbus

Italian explorer who sailed for Spain in 1492, “discovered” the Americas, and opened the way for European colonization.

Bartolomé de las Casas

Spanish priest who opposed the harsh treatment of Indigenous peoples and advocated for their rights in the New World.

Elizabeth I

Queen of England who strengthened Protestantism, defeated the Spanish Armada, and encouraged exploration and the arts.

Erasmus

Dutch Renaissance humanist who criticized corruption in the Catholic Church and inspired early reformers like Martin Luther.

Ferdinand II

Holy Roman Emperor who tried to restore Catholic dominance during the Thirty Years’ War, intensifying the conflict.

Ferdinand Magellan

Portuguese explorer sailing for Spain; led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe, though he died on the journey.

Francis Drake

English explorer and privateer; first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe and raided Spanish ships for Queen Elizabeth I.

Francis Xavier

Jesuit missionary who spread Christianity to India, Japan, and other parts of Asia during the Counter-Reformation.

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in Peru and executed Atahualpa.

Guru Nanak

Founder of Sikhism in India; taught devotion to one God, equality, and service to others.

Hernán Cortés

Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztecs and brought Mexico under Spanish control.

Ivan the Terrible

First czar of Russia; expanded territory but ruled harshly, using fear and violence to control the nobility.

Jacques Cartier

French explorer who claimed Canada for France by sailing up the St. Lawrence River.

Kangxi

Qing emperor of China who expanded borders, promoted stability, and supported arts and scholarship.

King Louis XIV

French “Sun King”; absolute monarch who built Versailles, centralized power, and made France dominant in Europe.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

Dutch scientist who perfected microscopes and was the first to observe microorganisms.

Martin Luther

German monk who began the Protestant Reformation by posting his 95 Theses criticizing Church corruption.

Mehmet II

Ottoman sultan who conquered Constantinople in 1453, ending the Byzantine Empire and expanding Ottoman power.

Metacom (King Philip)

Wampanoag leader who led a major Native uprising (King Philip’s War) against English colonists in New England.

Montezuma II

Last Aztec emperor, defeated by Hernán Cortés during the Spanish conquest of Mexico.

Nurhaci

Manchu leader who united tribes in northern China and laid the foundation for the Qing dynasty.

Peter the Great

Russian czar who modernized Russia, built a navy, and moved the capital to St. Petersburg to make Russia more European.

Pugachev

Russian peasant who led a massive rebellion against Catherine the Great, demanding reforms for serfs.

Queen Nanny

Leader of the Jamaican Maroons who resisted British colonization and became a national symbol of freedom.

Rembrandt

Dutch painter known for realistic portraits and dramatic use of light and shadow during the Dutch Golden Age.

René Descartes

French philosopher and mathematician; “I think, therefore I am”; emphasized logic and reason as the basis of knowledge.

Shah Abbas I

Powerful Safavid ruler who reformed the military, expanded trade, and made Isfahan a cultural and economic center.

Shah Ismail I

Founder of the Safavid Empire in Persia; established Shi’a Islam as the state religion.

Suleiman the Magnificent

Ottoman sultan who expanded the empire, reformed laws, and supported architecture and the arts.

Tokugawa Ieyasu

Japanese leader who unified Japan and established the Tokugawa Shogunate, enforcing peace and isolation for 250 years.

Vasco da Gama

Portuguese explorer who was the first to sail directly from Europe to India, establishing a profitable trade route.