Key Terms in Medieval, Early Modern, and Islamic Empires

Boyars

Russian noble landowning class; had significant power before centralized monarchy.

Knights

Mounted warriors of medieval Europe who swore loyalty to lords in exchange for land or privileges.

Lords

Landowners in feudal Europe who granted land (fiefs) to vassals and knights in exchange for service.

Serfs

Peasants tied to the land in feudal Europe; worked for lords in exchange for protection.

Bureaucratic Elites

Government officials who managed state affairs (e.g., scholar-gentry in China, Ottoman viziers).

Authoritarian Leaders

Rulers with absolute power, often centralizing control and limiting freedoms (e.g., Louis XIV).

City-State

Independent political unit consisting of a city and its surrounding territory (e.g., Venice).

Counter-Reformation

Catholic Church's response to the Protestant Reformation; reforms to reaffirm authority (Council of Trent, Jesuits).

Great Schism

1054 division between Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.

Shia Reformation

Movement that spread Shi'a Islam, especially under the Safavid Empire in Persia.

Anglicanism

Form of Christianity created by Henry VIII in England after breaking with the Catholic Church.

Devshirme

Ottoman system of taking Christian boys from the Balkans, converting them to Islam, and training them for military/government service.

Zamindars

Landowners and tax collectors in Mughal India, often gaining power under decentralized rule.

Economic Elites

Wealthy classes controlling trade, finance, and production (e.g., merchants, bankers, landlords).

Divine Right

Idea that monarchs derive authority directly from God and are accountable only to Him.

Nationalism

Pride, loyalty, and devotion to one's nation; belief in self-rule.

Monarchy

Government ruled by a king or queen, often hereditary.

Polytheism

Belief in many gods or deities.

Gunpowder Empires

Large states (Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal) that used gunpowder weapons to expand and consolidate power.

Turkic States

States founded or ruled by Turkic peoples, including the Ottomans, Seljuks, and others.

Taj Mahal

Mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife; symbol of Mughal architecture and legitimacy.

Legitimize

To justify or make power accepted (often through art, religion, or architecture).

Tax Farming

System where private individuals collected taxes on behalf of the state for profit (used in Ottoman Empire).

Palace of Versailles

Lavish palace built by Louis XIV of France to display wealth and power; symbol of absolutism.

Angkor Wat

Massive temple complex in Cambodia originally built for Hinduism, later used for Buddhism.

Great Wall

Fortification built in China to protect against invasions; symbol of centralized power.

Protestant Reformation

Religious reform movement begun by Martin Luther in 1517; led to creation of Protestant churches.

Spanish Inquisition

Catholic institution in Spain used to enforce religious conformity, often through persecution.

Sikhism

Syncretic religion founded in India combining elements of Islam and Hinduism; emphasizes equality and devotion to God.