APWH Unit 3 & 4

Gunpowder Empires

Large multiethnic states in Asia that relied on firearms to control territory: Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires.

Ottoman Empire

A Sunni Muslim empire that ruled much of the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th century.

Safavid Empire

A Shia Muslim empire in Persia (Iran), known for conflicts with the Ottomans and the promotion of Twelver Shi’ism.

Mughal Empire

A Muslim empire in India that blended Persian, Islamic, and Indian cultures; known for religious tolerance under Akbar.

Divine Right of Kings

European doctrine that monarchs ruled by God’s will and were accountable only to God.

Tax Farming

A system where private individuals collected taxes for the state in return for a share of the revenue.

Janissaries

Elite infantry units of the Ottoman Empire, originally composed of enslaved Christian boys converted to Islam.

Devshirme

Ottoman system of enslaving Christian boys from the Balkans, converting them to Islam, and training them for military or bureaucracy.

Zamindars

Mughal tax collectors who gained power and wealth; often ruled local areas semi-independently.

Protestant Reformation

Religious movement in Europe that challenged Catholic authority, leading to the rise of Protestant churches.

Counter-Reformation

Catholic response to the Reformation, reforming Church practices and reaffirming Catholic doctrine.

Sikhism

A syncretic religion that developed in India combining elements of Islam and Hinduism.

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of plants, animals, diseases, people, and ideas between the Old World and the New World after 1492.

Mercantilism

Economic policy where colonies existed to benefit the mother country by providing resources and markets.

Encomienda System

Spanish colonial system where colonists were granted land and forced labor from indigenous peoples.

Hacienda System

A Spanish land system in the Americas where landowners exploited native or peasant labor on large estates.

Joint-Stock Companies

Businesses owned by investors who shared profits and losses; used to fund exploration and colonization.

Atlantic System

The network of trade linking Europe, Africa, and the Americas; included the transatlantic slave trade.

Triangular Trade

Trade route between Europe, Africa, and the Americas involving slaves, raw materials, and manufactured goods.

Chattel Slavery

A form of slavery where individuals are treated as property to be bought and sold.

Indentured Servitude

Labor system where individuals worked for a period (usually 7 years) in exchange for passage to the Americas.

Maroon Societies

Communities of escaped enslaved people in the Americas who resisted colonial control.

Creoles

People of European descent born in the Americas; often held wealth but limited political power under colonial rule.

Peninsulares

Spanish-born colonists who held the highest social and political positions in the Americas.

Syncretism

The blending of different religious and cultural traditions into new forms (e.g., Vodun, Sikhism).