Empires: Administrations (1450–1750)

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing key terms, figures, and systems of administration across land-based empires from 1450 to 1750.

Divine right of kings

A European political and religious belief that a monarch's right to rule was given directly by God, placing the king above earthly law.

Justices of the peace

Officials selected by the landed gentry in England to maintain peace in counties, settle legal matters, and enforce the monarch's laws.

English Bill of Rights

A 1689 document signed by William and Mary that protected civil liberties and required Parliament's approval for taxation and maintaining an army.

Absolutism

A system of government directed by one source of power, the monarch, who possesses complete, unchecked authority.

Cardinal Richelieu

Chief minister to King Louis XIII of France who centralized government authority and developed the system of intendants.

Intendants

French royal administrative officials sent to provinces to carry out central government orders and supervise tax collection; also referred to as tax farmers.

Louis XIV

French absolute monarch (ruled 1643–1715) known as the 'Sun King' or 'Louis the Great,' who consolidated power at the Palace of Versailles and declared 'L’etat, c’est moi.'

Boyars

The noble landowning class occupying the top of the social pyramid in imperial Russia.

Serfdom

A social and economic system where peasants receive land and protection from a noble in exchange for labor, binding them to the land with minimal personal freedom.

Ivan IV

Russian tsar who suppressed opposition from the boyars of Novgorod, forcibly relocated them to Moscow, and established the oprichnina.

Oprichnina

A paramilitary force created by Ivan IV, drawn from lower-level bureaucrats and merchants, dressed in black and loyal to the tsar to control the boyars.

Peter I

Russian tsar (ruled 1682–1725), also known as Peter the Great, who created administrative provinces, established a senate, moved the capital to St. Petersburg, and reformed taxation.

Devshirme

An Ottoman selection system where conquered Christian boys aged 8 to 20 were forcibly recruited as tribute to serve in the Ottoman military and administration.

Janissaries

An elite military force in the Ottoman army formed from Christian boys recruited and trained through the devshirme system.

Daimyo

Landholding military aristocrats in feudal Japan who commanded private armies of samurai and controlled individual fiefdoms.

Tokugawa Ieyasu

Daimyo declared shogun in 1603 who shifted Japan's center of power to Edo (Tokyo) and founded the Tokugawa shogunate.

Period of Great Peace

An extended era of stability and central control in Japan maintained under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate into the mid-19th century.

Tokugawa shogunate

The military administration that centralized Japanese governance across 250 hans by compelling daimyo to maintain residences in both their home territories and Edo.

Askia the Great

Songhai ruler (Askia Mohammad I) who came to power in 1493, unified his empire by making Islam the official religion, and established an efficient bureaucracy.

Akbar

Mughal emperor (ruled 1556–1605) who expanded the empire from Delhi and organized a centralized government and civil service with paid officials.

Zamindars

Paid government officials in the Mughal Empire responsible for duties such as tax collection, construction, and water supply.

Shah Jahan

Mughal emperor (ruled 1628–1658) who ordered the construction of the Taj Mahal in Agra as a mausoleum for his wife.

Taj Mahal

A mausoleum in Agra built by Mughal ruler Shah Jahan as a tomb for his wife, showcasing Islamic architecture integrated with local artistic traditions.

Suleymaniye Mosque

A magnificent mosque constructed in Istanbul by order of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I to demonstrate imperial authority and spiritual significance.

Mosque of Isfahan

A landmark architectural achievement built by the Safavids in Isfahan featuring spiritual significance and intricate geometric design.

Versailles

A grand French palace built by Louis XIV near Paris used to legitimize royal power and keep noble elites under close royal supervision.

Tax farming

A revenue collection system used in empires like the Ottoman Empire where private tax collectors or local officials paid a set fee to the government and kept additional collected funds.

Tributes

Wealth, goods, or services demanded by empires from subject states or conquered peoples as a formal sign of submission, respect, or allegiance.