Major Empires to Know for AP World Cramsheet

Vocabulary flashcards covering the major world empires, their specific characteristics, and key historical periods from $$1200$$ through $$1900$$.

$$1200-1450$$

The era of Pre-Modern Powerhouses.

Mongols

Largest land empire, Pax Mongolica, spread Black Death + tech.

Song/Yuan China

Empire known for gunpowder, paper money, and the Grand Canal.

Mali Empire

Empire featuring Mansa Musa, Timbuktu, and the gold-salt trade.

Delhi Sultanate

Islamic rule in South Asia that set up the Mughal era.

$$1450-1750$$

The era of Gunpowder Empires.

Ottoman Empire

Sunni empire that took Constantinople in $1453$; utilized devshirme + janissaries.

Safavid

Shia empire based in Persia; had a religious clash with Ottomans.

Mughal

Empire in India known for Akbar's tolerance and Aurangzeb's decline.

Qing China

Period of Manchu rule characterized by isolationism and the tribute system.

Spanish/Portuguese

Maritime empires responsible for the Columbian Exchange.

$$1750-1900$$

The era of Industrial Era Empires.

British Empire

Empire that controlled India, involved in the opium trade, and where the "sun never sets."

Russian Empire

Empire defined by serfdom, expansion east, and late industrialization.

Japanese (Meiji)

Empire characterized by rapid industrialization and being the only Asian colonizer.

Ottoman decline

Known as the "Sick Man of Europe," a decline that set up WWI.