AP World - Unit 3 Basic Flashcards

These will help you get a basic understanding of land-based empires

Ottoman Empire

• Turkish tribal group from Central Asia

• Sunni Muslim

• Largest Islamic empire ever

Ottoman Empire (expansion)

• Gunpowder and naval technology

• Conquered the Byzantine Empire and Constantinople, a major trading city.

• Constantinople → Istanbul

Ottoman Empire (government structure)

• Sultan → Most famous: Suleiman the Magnificent

• Regional and local governors handled daily events

• Bureacracy

• Topkapi Palace in Istanbul

Ottoman Empire (military/bureacratic recruitment)

• Devshirme System

• Janaissaries: the highest ranking in the Ottoman military.

Ottoman Empire (taxation)

• Iltizam: tax on farm products

• Government auctioned off taxation rights

• Winner collected taxes and gave part to the government

Ottoman Empire (treatment of minorities)

• Ethnically diverse.

• Large Christian and Jewish population.

• Religion was tolerate

• Non-Muslims had to pay a tax and had a different court system.

Safavid Empire

• Named after Safi al-din → led a Sufi order of Shi’a Muslims.

• Sufi: Muslim merchants who converted people

• Leaders believed they were descendants of Muhammad.

Safavid Empire (expansion)

• Gunpowder

• Limited expansion due to the Ottomans → West and the Mughals → East

• Less diverse than the Ottomans → mostly Iranians and some Turks.

• Benefited from being at the center of trade (Indian Ocean and Silk Road)

Safavid Empire (government structure)

• Shah.

• Shah can’t pass laws without the Grand Vizier’s approval → checks and balances

• Local leaders ruled but had to provide a standing army to the Shah.

• Ali Qapu Palace - built for the Shah

Safavid Empire (Military/Bureacratic Recruitment)

• Took Christians → converted to Islam and forced into the military.

• Built a strong military to convert non-Muslims and Sunni Muslims to Shi’a Islam - Jihad (struggles)

• Ottomans and Safavids fought 9 wars.

• Enemies because of religious differences

Safavid Empire (taxation)

• Tax on farm products, livestock, tolls on roads, and entries into gates.

• Allowed funding of the military and an elaborate daily life in the capital.

Safavid Empire (the treatment of minorities)

• Had to be a Shi’a Muslim, but accepted outsiders

• Lots of cultural syncretism between Ottoman, Persian, Indian, and Arab worlds

• Chinese artisans were brought in to help build the capital, Isfahan

Mughal Empire

• A mix of Turkish and Mongolian people from Central Asia

• Mughal is Persian for Mongol

• Sunni Muslim

• South Asia

Mughal Empire (expansion)

• Gunpowder

• India had been decentralized for 1000 years - easy to expand

Mughal Empire (government structure)

• Akbar the Great

• Divided the empire into 15 subahs (provinces), with each divided into districts

• The Emperor was head of the military, taxation, and justice

• Taj Mahal was commissioned by Akbar’s son (used as a tomb)

Mughal Empire (Government/Military Recruitment)

• Small army, usually the emperor’s relatives → always on active duty

• Local leaders would contribute soldiers to the army → temporarily

• Bureaucracy: based on bloodlines → Government workers usually came from wealthy families; not based on merit.

Mughal Empire (taxation)

• Zamindars: appointed by the Mughals to collect taxes

• Most taxed item: Cotton

Mughal Empire (treatment of minorities)

• Muslims (minority) ruled over Hindus (majority) - unusual

• Akbar allowed for religious freedom and for Hindus to serve in the government

• Ended the jizya tax (a tax in Muslim countries on non-Muslims)

• Encouraged debates on faith (uncommon)

• Many of Akbar’s tolerant policies were later reversed.

Mughal Empire (Sikhism)

• Formed by people who rejected the caste system

• A blend of Islam and Hinduism

• Beliefs:

- Monotheistic; however, God cannot be defined

- The cycle of life, death, and rebirth was based on karma.

- Pray multiple times a day

- Focused on peace and taking care of one’s neighbor

Manchu/Qing Dynasty

• Not ethnically Chinese - from Manchuria

• Conquered by the Mongols

• Not trusted by the Chinese

Manchu/Qing Dynasty (expansion)

• Gunpowder

• The Ming Dynasty weakened due to inflation from silver from Spanish Latin America

Manchu/Qing Dynasty (government structure)

• Did not put the Chinese in high government positions

• Kept some old ideas: Mandate of Heaven, Civil Service Exam, Foot binding, Scholars had a high status

• Monumental Art: Imperial Portraits

Manchu/Qing Dynasty (government/military recruitment)

Civil Service Exam

Manchu/Qing Dynasty (taxation)

• Paid in copper or silver coins

• Standardized currency helped Chinese merchants thrive

• Made trade/tax collecting easier

Manchu/Qing Dynasty (treatment of minorities)

• Minority group was in power

• Banned intermarriage between Manchus and Chinese

• Purged any anti-Manchu writings

• Forced Chinese men to wear the queue hairstyle

Tokugawa Shogunate

• Japan is an archipelago

• Decentralized from feudalism for hundreds of years

• Brutal wars between Daimyos

• One family, the Tokugawas, rose and centralized power

• Also called the Edo Period (named after the capital)

Tokugawa Shogunate (feudalism)

• Emperor → figurehead

• Shogun → actual leader

• Daimyo → nobles

• Samurai → warriors

Expansion

• Gunpowder

• Tokugawa leyasu fought against the daimyos (nobles) and set up a Shogunate → military dictatorship

• Difficult to expand because Japan is an archipelago

Government

• Shogun (of the Tokugawa family) was the head Daimyo.

• Each Daimyo had its own administration, laws, and taxes, but was loyal to the Shogun.

• The Japanese emperor had no real power and was loyal to the Shogun.

• Monumental Arts (influence from China): Focused on landscapes and pictures of the Shogun.

Tokugawa Shogunate (military/bureacratic recruitment)

• Unification of Japan → Samurai no longer needed

• Military protectors → educated class of bureaucrats who helped carry out the laws.

Tokugawa Shogunate (taxation)

• Taxes are administered in a decentralized way

• Each Daimyo and local lord could determine the tax rate

• Most taxes came from rice

• Every other year, the Daimyo had to live in Edo near the Shogun (cost a lot) go keep the Daimyo loyal to the Shogun

• Taxation is used more for protection

Tokugawa Shogunate (treatment of minorities)

• Foreigners were banned from entering Japan

• Japanese are banned from leaving

• Isolationism → Done during European Exploration

• European culture/religion was a threat to Japan

• Only the Dutch were allowed because they were not interested in spreading Christianity in Japan

Romanov Dynasty

• Princes paid tribute as Mongols ruled from afar

• Russia defeats the Mongols

• Most Russian princes were Eastern Orthodox Christians

• Converted by the missionaries Byzantine Empire

Romanov Dynasty (expansion)

• Gunpowder

• Russia was ‘behind’ Western Europe

• Ivan the Terrible consolidates (strengthens) and conquers the Russian City-States.

• Descendants are the Romanovs.

Romanov Dynasty (government structure)

• Autocratic leader - Czar/Tsar

• Autocratic/Absolute monarch: a leader who controls all aspects of life.

• Peter the Great’s Goal: westernize Russia

• St. Petersburg (city), St. Basil’s Cathedral

Romanov Dynasty (st. petersburg)

• Peter’s “window to the west”

• Modeled it to look like Western European cities.

Romanov Dynasty (military/bureacratic recruitment)

• Work is not always merit-based

• The military usually carried out policies (forced) rather than bureaucrats.

• Focused on expanding to gain access to warm water ports.

Romanov Dynasty (taxation)

• Everything got taxed

• Monopolized popular industries (vodka, salt, fur)

• Flat tax on all peasants (all the same rate)

• High tariffs on foreign goods

• People are encouraged to buy Russian goods to avoid extra tax

Romanov Dynasty (treatment of minorities)

• Very diverse and large (12 time zones)

• Russification: an attempt to force conquered people to be Russian (Practice Christianity and speak Russian)

• Discriminated against Jews (anti-semitism) - not considered Russian + extra taxes