AP WORLD HISTORY

1215-The Magna Carta (The Rise of British Democracy over time)

-Limits power of the monarch vis-a-vis the nobles

-Gives certain rights to nobles

-A document which meaning gets stretched over time

-Gains importance and value over time

-established common law for citizens

1600s-Massive power struggle between parliament and monarchy (The Rise of British Democracy over time)

-Each side alternates power throughout 17th century

-One king loses head

-Monarchy is abolished for about 10 years

EBOR (the English Bill of Rights) & the Enlightenment 1689 CE (The Rise of British Democracy over time)

-EBOR

-Huge document-very revolutionary at time

-Agreement between parliament and the monarchy

-Limits monarchy and increases power of parliament (the people)

-Document whose meaning gets stretched over time

-The Enlightenment

-Philosophes contemplated reason during this era

-Caused UK/Britain to become more democratic, egalitarian, less hierarchical

-Monarchy, house of lords, rich = loss of power

-Prime Minister, Parliament, House of Commons, Society = increase in power

Absolutism & the rise of centralized governments in some emerging modern nation-states & empires in the Early Modern Era (~1500-1750)

Absolutism- The essence of an absolutist system is that the ruling power is not subject to regularized challenge or check by any other agency, be it judicial, legislative, religious, economic, or electoral. King Louis XIV (1643–1715) of France furnished the most familiar assertion of absolutism when he said, “L’état, c’est moi” (“I am the state”). The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

France’s Empire: during the 17th & 18th centuries

-Louis XIV- The “Sun King”  (France & the ancient regime) (Louis The 14th)

-Created the “Carousel” which was an event that welcomed foreigners and many high officials so he could flaunt his wealth

The Qing Dynasty: 1644-1911  

• Emperor Kangxi 

  • Powerful empire in China Peaked in the 17th & 18th centuries (~1644-1800) 

  • Its boundaries are very close to the present-day boundaries of China

  • Used a meritocracy & the civil service exam for promotions in the empire--just as dynasties had been doing in China for almost 2,000 years. 

  •  From ~1800 onwards the Empire was in disarray

Mughal empire: ~1526-1857 

• Emperor Jahangir & Akbar the Great

  • Subcontinent = South Asia = India, Pakistan & Bangladesh

  • A muslim minority ruling over a Hindu majority

  • The Mughals under Akbar the Great & Jahangir were religiously tolerant.

  • Peaked in the 16th & 17th centuries

  • 1750 onwards fell into disarray & were less religiously tolerant.

The Ottoman Empire: 1299-1924

• Suleiman the Magnificent

  At its peak the 15th, 16th & 17th centuries  (~1453-1700s) controlled large parts of:

• The Middle East (especially Turkey)                     Northern Africa along the coast of the Mediterranean

• Southeastern Europe = the Balkans (former Yugoslavia)

• Conquered Constantinople in 1453 & Renamed it Istanbul

• Constantinople>>>>>Istanbul

• Christian>>>>>>>>> Islam

1453 onwards:  based primarily in modern-day Turkey

Peter the Great in Russia

• Founded and built St. Petersburg.(pro-Westernization & pro-European)  

The three systems of government in Africa (& Eurasia too) ~1450-1750

1. Strong Centralized Empires   

   2. Small centralized empires and City-States

   3. Decentralized or Stateless Political Societies  

Strong Centralized Empires

-Political power given to few

-large, powerful kingdoms that did not last long

-ex. in Africa Kingdom of Songhai, kingdom of Mali, kingdom of Ghana

ex. outside of Africa Qing dynasty, France, Ottoman empire, Mughal empire

Small centralized empires and City-States

-Functioned like larger African kingdoms but, smaller

-Control of trade and strong military were essential in development and maintenance

-Have some sort of mutual respect with kings and rulers to gain protection in exchange for increased wealth

ex. in Africa Yoruba city-states, Swahili city-states

ex. outside of Africa Italian and Greek city-states

Decentralized or Stateless Political Societies  

-Chiefs were chosen based on ability and skill rather than social status or governed by a group of elders

-Have capability of larger kingdoms regardless of size

-Age was respected greatly

ex. in Africa The igbo, The Fulani

ex. outside of Africa The Cherokee natives, The Iroquois

The Reformation~1517- 1550

• Martin Luther kicks it off in 1517.

• The large & gradual effects of both the Reformation and the Gutenberg’s Printing press. (see below) 

• The Post-Reformation Religion map of Europe

• The three main branches of Christianity & their locations in Europe:

  • Orthodox Christianity: Russia, Greece & others (Some of the old Byzantine Empire)

  • Catholicism = The Roman Catholic Church, the Pope & the Vatican; the Holy Roman Empire 

    • Southern & Eastern Europe: Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, France & others 

  • Protestantism 

    • Has been the dominant power and influence in terms of religion  in England/Great Britain and the UK since ~1600

    • English migrants in the 17th & 18th century helped establish Protestant Christianity as the dominant religion in the US until rather recently. (Every US President has been Christian, and only two: JFK & BIden have been even Catholic) 

Gutenberg’s printing press ~1450

-Allowed more people to access information in their own languages

-Allowed bibles to be printed for common people to read and interpret(REFORMATION)

-increased literacy/learning/skepticism in Europe (over centuries)

Martin Luther-1517

-He was angry at the corruption of the Catholic church

The Scientific Revolution: ~1550-1725

• Galileo, Copernicus, Isaac Newton and many, many more.

• Helped spread secular ideas and thought in Western Europe in the 17th century especially.

• Helped increase individualism and egalitarian ideals very slowly and gradually in Western Europe.

• Helped establish the ideals of observation and empirical evidence in Western society & thought. 

• Helped lead to the Enlightenment

The Enlightenment: ~1688/89-1800

• Caused by the Sic Rev, the Reformation, EBOR, & the Printing Press

• Helped spread secular ideas and thought in Western Europe in the 18th century.

• Helped increase individualism and egalitarian ideals very slowly and gradually in Western Europe.

Extra: Empires ruled by muslim rulers

-Mughals and Ottomans

Empires known for extravagant displays of wealth

-France and Mughals

Ruled over culturally and ethnically diverse peoples

-Qing, Mughals, Ottomans